What's happened
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's difficulties with understanding scientific concepts during the COVID-19 pandemic are highlighted in a public inquiry.
Why it matters
The revelation sheds light on the challenges faced by political leaders in understanding and responding to scientific advice during a global health crisis.
What the papers say
The Times emphasizes the struggle of Boris Johnson in understanding scientific concepts, while The Independent and AP News also highlight the challenges faced by leaders across Europe in comprehending scientific evidence. The Guardian and The Telegraph focus on the tensions and disagreements between the UK government and its scientific advisers during the pandemic.
How we got here
The public inquiry into the UK's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the difficulties faced by political leaders in understanding and responding to scientific advice.
More on these topics
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Sir Patrick John Thompson Vallance FRS FMedSci FRCP is a British physician, scientist, and clinical pharmacologist who has worked in both academia and industry and, since March 2018, has been the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of the United Ki
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Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson Hon FRIBA is a British politician, writer, and former journalist serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2019.
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The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northÂwestern coast of the European mainland.
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Dominic Mckenzie Cummings is a British political strategist who has served as chief adviser to UK prime minister Boris Johnson since July 2019.
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Jonathan Stafford Nguyen Van-Tam MBE is a British specialist in influenza, including its epidemiology, transmission, vaccinology, antiviral drugs and pandemic preparedness. On 2 October 2017 he took up the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England.