Scientific petitions and open letters in the era of covid-19

Petitions and open letters signed by large numbers of scientists are not new, but they have proliferated in the covid-19 era. 1 2 They have a clear role when it comes to questions of ethics, social problems, and injustices.With monumental consequences from both the pandemic and the response to the pandemic, debating ethical and social matters is the right of every citizen, including scientists.A collateral damage, however, is when these documents are aimed to prove or disprove scientific positions.