The current COVID-19 crisis has seen a rise in imbuing scientists with celebrity status.
As beacons of information and truth within times of tension and fear, many European scientists - including nurses, doctors and epidemiologists - have recently become household names.
Scientists who speak truthfully and bluntly in the media, including Italy's Dr. Massimo Galli and Germany's Dr. Christian Drosten, receive newfound attention, including on talk shows and other media attention.
Within periods of uncertainty, such figures have become important heroes and symbols of knowledge and comfort.
Source:
Read more at the link above.