Science Popularisation plays an important role in preventing and controlling the pandemic. By providing the public with authoritative scientific knowledge, increasing awareness of the pandemic’s development situation, control and self-protection measures, both the risk of infection and public panic are reduced.

Leading the COVID-19 Science Popularisation efforts, the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) mobilised 32 provincial science and technology associations, 210 national societies, more than 15,000 technical voluntary service organisations, more than 450,000 technical volunteers, over 3.1 million Chinese science popularisation information personnel, 357 science popularisation stations, thereby forming a comprehensive emergency Science Popularisation  work, based on “TWO Preventions” (Pandemic Prevention, Panic Prevention) and “THREE Guidelines” (Pandemic Prevention Guideline, Psychological Counseling Guideline, Public Information Guideline). Over 133,600 related reports were published, with total viewership of more than 13.3 billion; 173 videos, 16 animation episodes and 108 graphic works related to the epidemiology, effectiveness of antivirals and plasma therapy were released, reaching over 600 million people. A national-level platform using science to detect and refute COVID-19 rumours was set up, serving over 2.2 billion people.

In 2020, Professor Zhang Wenhong from Fudan University presented on “Science Popularisation from the Perspective of COVID-19 Response”, at the annual meeting of China Science Writers’ Association. He emphasised that Science Popularisation experts need to have solid scientific knowledge. In these special times, it is necessary to have a clear focus, timely response and increased communication for the public.

Zhong Nanshan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, also commented, “the community’s joint efforts in promoting COVID-19’s Science Popularisation, effectively controlled the pandemic by eliminating public panic and encouraging citizens to comply with prevention and control measures.”