https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/20/8190384...
https://www.genengnews.com/news/covid-19-reinfection-not-a-c...
A statement that includes explicit acknowledgement of uncertainty should not be downvoted (unless there is another reason contained within), full stop. If this was /r/politics, fine, but it isn't.
This is causing harm to society that we have very little means of seeing (at least not without an investment of significant effort and time, something most people tend to avoid whenever possible).
I have deliberately not included acknowledgement of uncertainty, for two reasons.
For instance, say, "I fully acknowledge that this is just bunk told in jest to small children, but perhaps the Moon could really be made of Roquefort cheese." is not a HN-worthy comment.
That is undoubtedly true. It may even be consistent with official site guidelines (which I don't think make any claim to be perfect - "perfect is the opposite of good" as they say).
Might this also be true: "In HN, comments are sometimes downvoted, irrespective of whether the comment is insubstantial, off-topic, or incorrect. The reasons behind this are incredibly complex."
Worst case scenario (of people acting on my previous comment), people believe they can be reinfected and would practice further physical distancing. That does not seem malicious, but hey, I might be wrong.
Think about it this way, if your mother was concerned and you said, "Don't quote me on this, but as far as I know, you can be infected twice", you can bet your ass she would believe you.
We simply do not know what this virus will do.
The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 came in waves, and they were different.