In a meta-analysis conducted by Cochrane, the conclusion was reached a type of steroid known as corticosteroids should be used for treating severe pneumonia. This reduces both morbidity and mortality, and generally saves one out of every eighteen patients.
Pneumonia has existed in the United States since it took the life of George Washington, and despite having reached the 21st century, continues to take lives. Even the discovery of antibiotics has not obliterated pneumonia. The lesson to be learned is Science is not about what is known, but rather how to gain information still unknown.
The most common belief is science is unrepentant, unreliable, arrogant and uncertain. This is untrue because science is power, a proven method to learn the unknown, and change the natural ignorance of the human race. The fact science is responsible for discovering the correlation between pneumonia and corticosteroids 219 years after pneumonia killed George Washington is proof science is powerful.
Science has provided the necessary insight to reduce the deaths from more than 50,000 cases of pneumonia in the United States every year by one in eighteen. This is almost 3,000 lives owed to science per year. For additional details, please visit https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Preventive-Medicine-Better-treatment-for-12532053.php.
Science is not only powerful, it is also humble. Science enables thoughts to be transmitted through cyberspace via a computer. If science were not deemed as science, it could easily pass for magic. Science is used every day, and despite it not being remarked upon, the power remains. Science asks questions, and old theories are replaced by the new. Science is a diversity of methods, the weight of evidence, and replication leading to confidence. From gravity to heliocentrism, theories can become facts.
Science focuses intently and consistently on the unknown and the uncertain, and has intrinsic limitations. Science proves the opposite of abject ignorance is perfect knowledge. The way pneumonia was treated prior to December 13th of 2017 proves the power of science comes from knowledge. As times passes, science continues to reach for more. Science used to achieve understanding may not be one of the best recourses because time has proven last year the knowledge to correctly treat pneumonia was absent.
This means science is subject to both theory and time. Yet despite this, thousands of lives have been saved due to science. Prior to this the only choice was to treat pneumonia as efficiently as possible with the resources available.
