This was six times higher and then two. One times that of imwhite americans. Unfortunately this information of the distrust played a significant role in theseca adoutcomes with the emergency physician a visiting professor of Health Policy management at the George WashingtonUniversity Institute for Public Health previously served as the Health Commissioner at the city of baltimore the oldest continuously operating Health Department with the Opioid Epidemic to improve maternal and child health and the Public Health issue. A leading voice on the call for science based policies and on monday talk about the impact of covid 19 on communities of color in the us. We have video to play here. Thank you so much for joining us a way to start off with disparity of covid19 and those outcomes for people of color around the United States. First of all im glad to join you thank you for focusing on this topic because this disease does not affect people equally communities of color. The front of this pandemic to unmask many Health Disparities for a long time that have a existed and the wake of this pandemic we have seen africanamericans and native americans and native islanders was so many Health Disparities have experienced those outcomes just passionately many times so it is severalfold so first we know that social distancing is a privilege that not everyone has access to so people of color are essential workers and to have that opportunity and people of color are in multigenerationalou housing were even basic passions like isolation and quarantine is difficult and then they would make people more susceptible for this outcome from covid19. One of the threen africanamericans compared to one out of 12 whites was any surprise africanamericans also disproportionally have diabetes, obesity, Heart Disease with these conditions they are also predisposed to severe outcomes because of covid19 it is a reminderemathit is not the virus in the case that is doing the discriminating it is the traditions of people live in thee determinants that in many ways to influence those Health Outcomes and very tragically the most of all the same trend that we see in adults three quarters of all the deaths that have occurred among children are among the same populations of black and brown children. Getting at the data that we are improving over time with the course of the pandemic itself and how those have cords changed over the course of the last seven months and then to recapitulate over time. Its a really good question that i have the answer to because we have been missing data all along and from the very beginning we have a big problem with data maybe they were just Getting Started missing the key data points of who is impacted and who are the t individuals with increased rates of hospitalization to make the difficult comparison and also different groups that could be classified differently some report on Asian Americans others with Pacific Islanders so one hopes disparities based on the limited data that we have that is not getting any better. How information or misinformation orns disinformation about the virus itself are being received in communities of colo color. A mad disinformation in general around covid19as has been a big problem first that this disinformation of power covid19 given the data there was the cdc report to look at the conditions that are reported and even that information has been misinterpreted and so many different ways and not just contain one diagnosis process have respiratory failure as the cause of thehe death as the underlying condition in addition to having covid19 that doesnt mean they died because of coronavirus its like saying someone who died from a car accident but also had cancer somehow they did not die from the crash because they also had cancer. Even like that has been misinterpreted in so many different ways. Speaks to this response that there has been makes messaging and instead of having Public Health lead in the response we have seen Public Health experts to be push under the press between the rest officials have different and thats how led to a lot of confusionen and then you have a different problem in this case as well which is to have communities that distrust like vaccine they may be anti science and because of those various political interference and that has interfered and now you have a whole group of people who just trust the process for Regulatory Approval not because they distrust science but they fear political process of the manipulation a a and then with e medical community but then look at those legacies to have those experiments that what ethical and legal experimentation now asking the sameex groups to be involved in vaccine trials we want to include everyone. But it really is important for us to do Public Outreach and education in addition to also make sure when these vaccines comeme out that the distribution is such those same communities that are the most impacted by also receive the vaccines otherwise we will touch with the concept that we are experimenting on black and brown parties so it is a right and privilege of individuals. And we have to do our best to make sure science leads a process where overcoming the makes messaging that is hampering our response all alon along. And that those are creating an environment of distrust so if you are still a Public Health commissioner anywhere around the United States, what are some concrete things you would want to put in place in this moment right now that is the complexity. I appreciate the question because so often we admire the problem and we dont get to the solution. There are tangible solutions in particular when it comes to we do seeing the disproportionate impact on communities of color i have the opportunity to testify in front of congress twice the last several months about the solutions urging congress. You talk about what we would put that extremely Resource Limited in finding disinformation every day , doing so much with those resources while also trying because its also for their communities and also trying to work on food access ands dollars other fact with these conditions but if i could say what could we all do but then we talk about the issue of data lets make it known on thee breakdown to death from covid19 also testing. One really specific characteristic we should beri measuring is to test positivity we know that should be belowow 5 percent we are not testing nearly enough. We should be making those rates available across the demographics through those specific zip codes that what i mean is you could have them int a state of center even and 3 percent going the right direction but if we have that positivity to find and in that zip code at 20 percent to 30 percent but that zip code really need specific resources so to target testing like mobile testing or churches or Community Groups so we target the resources to those communities that need at the most not addressing the population as a whole or the key population of equity and Worker Protection essential workers tend to be people of color may still have the right amount of ppe individuals who were Home Health Workers and meatpacking plants with Worker Protections on the federal level and at the state and local t level in this will be really important with that just person impact those communities of color we know that housing for example very much influences that Food Insecurity and so if we tell our patients if they are ill is somebody lives in a house they are literally unable to keep it that we as a so that society how do we give them the resources to do so . If they are afraid of losing their job if they are testing positive or exposed what objections can we plan to place . Obvious that then with the educational divide those disparities that we see at this time it is such a complex issue to reopen schools and many have o reopened potentially in a way that may contribute to outbreaks among the students staff andou teachers at the same time keeping them closed will the educational divide and continue to the covid slide we are seeing all so the keycountry here is for us as a society to reduce the level of Community Spread to invest resources into our schools not just private schools but to all schools in particular that already lack the resources so we can as a society prioritize schools is the most essential to help her children who are the most in need. Tell me more about your experiences talking to people whether healthcare workers, patients were members of the communities themselves that aremus affected. What have you been hearing from people on the ground . How are they reacting and what word you say they need to hear from us goingro forward . En i am hearing from patients and Community Members they want to do the right thing and are recognizing the areas where i live at least that absolutely understand that covid19 is a pandemic and it is affecting each of us. R conceptualize because people are giving up so much and people g e not seeing their grandchildren. Dr. Leana wen theyre older adults are not able to safely gather. Kids have not been able to go to school. Individuals have lost their livelihoods because of this pandemic. I am. We give up so much and have this opportunity early on to contain this in the make that we have not and will continuing to sacrifice so much. That is one thing. Another thing is that we cannot be isolated for the foreseeable future. Tas important for us to figure out what risk you will continue to take on and which of the risks that we really need to come down on. T understanding that we need to figure out how to live with this virus and the one thing that we are saying is that the any new infections are not so much do to the congregant settings or to the neural settings but rather informal settings people are getting infected through extended family and friends. Thats really important for all of us to keep on distributing is the need for continuing to be in our guard. Im to 50 percent of the spread is from individuals who do not have symptoms. There is a level of natural thinking that i think any of us have that are loved ones wont have coronavirus because we know them. And we love our loved ones. But somehow that is truly critical for us to see the mind that if we are doing all of these things, physically distance in school and wearing masks. Ri but if theyre only going to be coming together for play dates or birthday celebrations afterwards and noty going to be abiding by these restrictions, there were still going to have outbreaks. In fact these outbreaks are going to lead to schools being closed for longer. By the same token, for doing anything we can at the Grocery Stores and it works. Were still getting people together for dinner parties indoors, is also going to be limiting all of the good work that were doing. Remember to remember to use caution. Think aboutut all of e things are most important to you and remember that mask wearing. Gathering outdoors rather than indoors. And limiting or avoiding crowds. These are all the things that we can do in order to protect our loved ones. And also allows us to get as much back to normal and to not be isolated. Thank you so much for taking the time toth speak with us tody and all of the work that youre doing and please be safe and be well read. Dr. Leana wen thank you very much. [silence]. Joining us now to continue our discussion,ow we have doctor amanda, professor in the department of epidemiology and George Washington university. She is a physician, and cdc trained epidemiologist Whose Research focuses on hiv and Infectious Diseases. She has worked domestically and internationally on hiv aids it surveillance prevention, care and treatment. Since the start of covid19 pandemic, shes been providing support to local Health Departments, and serving as part of the Public Health team. Doctor, thank you so much for joining us. Good morning and thank you havinfor having me. Sue and i would like to begin a conversation by asking you about one of doctor winds remark dr. This trust towards medical and Public Health institutions. Largely because of the history and unethical things happening. Can you tell us a little bit more about this and about how this history might be h shaping coronavirus outcomes in the u. Sa now. Dr. with docto dr. Leana wen , we received in history these unethical limitations among communities of color. The think back to the native americans, the colonization of the United States bringing Infectious Diseases that these populations had never seen before. And systematically stripping native americans of their rights, the land and their heritage. And even in the 1990s, we saw research that has been done. There was his Diabetes Project done among a group, a native american tribes for these individuals had agreed to share information and to actually give blood for theod Research Study s supposed to be focus on diabetes only to find out that the information in the blood was being used for other purposes. Some examples such as these are unfortunately pervasive throughout the culture. Then africanamerican rimmunities, the the syphilis experiment is still in the back of any peoples mind is. This is a study that took place for decades among africanamerican men. Afwho they were being looked at for syphilis infections. Even though it treatmentn was available in the 40s, these men werere not able to access ts treatment. The study on until 1972. So all of these are examples where because of the way that communities have been treated, there certainly understandably skepticism, this trust, people are scared in these communities. In unfortunately, covid19 did not create the situation. Covid19 has reminded us of this unhealed wound. And how yet another pandemic in another situation such as this is really impacted these communities. As dr. Leanaas wen mentioned, we seen because of these long hysterical racism things, these communities of color were at risk and have a higher prevalence of these conditions. Living in crowded housing. They constitute the majority of potentiaessential workers. We w from the data those are all risk factors. In this fight we are sing these high rates of mortality among these communities of color. So unfortunately is not something new to those of us living in these communities. It just continues to show how much inequity there is. Rebekah is really revealing, the long standing historical but is now very clear contemporary inequities bringing them much more clearly to life it seems. I would like to turn now to our next panelist. Bring her into our conversation. Shape is the founder and executive director good prematurity take a hit and dedicated to ending online abuse. It was founded very shortly after in london face really horrendous online abuse. She traveled the globe now developing Practical Solutions to protect our Online Public spaces from hate and abuse and to inform people about how best to be digital citizens. Shes man entered National Human rights defender. In 2019, she was the digital leader of the year, she was named that. She is joining idp as this years ninth fellow. It we are delighted to have you here and so happy to welcome you to the family. It. Thank you i can officially tell people. [inaudible]. Of the idp family. Rebekah we are really really happy to have you join us. I would like to for the first question i wouldld like to put o you. I want t focus a little bit of e scene of today. Our conferences really premised on the notion that covid19 has forced our lives including our political lives online, really like never before. Yet as noted in tape we rolled the beginning. It is b a privilege, not affordd to people of color in the same ways that reduce to white people. And at the samee time, if your own personal experience illustrates that when people engaging in politics online, the face abuse and harassment. Really in disproportionate levels. Can you tell us a bit more about this in your work in this area. Yes great. Im really excited to be part of this panel. Normally have to tell them what it is. Maybe we can just cut to the solution. Youre right to set the context of, before covid19, there is already an issue run humanities and how women and much of our community, before covid19 the black men in the uk and in different parts of europe, where eight people with a bullet like you mentioned and abusive treatment. [inaudible]. In the a crime was going through the roof in the Lgbt Community also facing online abuse. And then you had lockdowns. And then happened around they march in the uk. And you saw the regulating of the internet moderators. We had been spending a lot of time online. And that set alarm bells about how we increased these varying communities of disproportionately affected that the same time we have an investmente around education and around what to do when somebody is facing abuse online. When you have that, you have the covid19, youve already abuse online and what you saw was basically an explosion of online abuse where women this year reports, the effects of the pandemic online, 46 percent of women surveyed said they have receive some form of harassment. And people of color its even more. And black women and minority people, it would have 60 percent. So the small uk trying to find an inside to show this is compounding, of basically a volcano erupting online. [inaudible]. And also then this is with black lives matter researching online. Thats the main way that we can express always on line in facing terrific trolling. In the kind of stop piling and harassment and the wrecking of hash taking and trolling. People who are trying to defund the race. Intentional backlash happening. And that was some ways that communities really meant a lot to them as well. This not been happening over the summer. So yes, we are coming through in some ways here in the uk and deciding now if theres conversation about another lockdown. And around how are we going to learn from this. How are we going to have some kind of did you digital work. And on the digital right. And how will be really clear that not everybody can access this in the same way. It is a political divide. And also in genderil and race. And when you practice these platforms, some have already been sent have to be more harm. I remember when i changed my display picture on twitter from having my afro, my leave, my straight weaver my straight hair cut, to embracing my afro hair. And that did not mean anything. Itwe was me people would say provocative. On a project that, afro hair and thats really also important. [inaudible]. And about how the communities should be able to thrive in function. And if we want to make progress on a quality on the human rights, we want to make any progress with this glitch. Rebekah so that is really a powerful anecdote that you just shared with us and really helping to see what is an extremely much larger problem for anyan people. I would like the three of us to talk together just a little bit about some of these more kind of history lets say. Doctor you reflected for us kind of on a longterm perspectives within the u. S. And feelings of distrust and from communities of color. I wonder iff we might look to even more recent trends for example to the hiv and aids pandemic. This is your primary area of research. Are you saying major differences between the Waves Community of colors are being impacted particularly given that a social media is so prevalent now in the experience of the covid19 pandemic9 compared to the 80s and 90s when the hiv was really at its height. Dr. Akinowo that is a great question and unfortunately what i am saying as any similarities and any of us that were working with the hiv have reflected on this. This is a new virus. We did not necessarily know how it was being transmitted. We didnt know with the viral origins were we didnt know who was at risk. So all of these are things that we traveled with the hiv epidemic. Testing, a huge issue. How do we get to test people who were perhaps exposed to hiv. We are saying h the same things here with the covid19. As frustrating because we have seen with hiv, a longstanding history of misinformation and disinformation. We have people domestically, there was a writer, saying that one ofei the first hiv denial i. He himself with his vested or she was it infected with the virus. And reflective of our learning curve when it comes to the hiv pandemic. And she was very vocal. She actually worked with a very well known community. Then early on in the pandemic, actually wasas in denial, kind f propagation of misinformation and no of course one of the leading organizations in helping us understand hiv certain communities. Without leadership, the role between hiv and aids. The former president of south orafrica, is famous for saying t the aids f conference conference that hiv was that the virus that causes aids. And we had a declaration work thousands of researchers and scientists said we have to dispel this myth. This is not true. Them propaganda, conspiracy theories. Kgb. There was his operation denver that actually try to say that hiv and aids are part of cia warfare. Weve seen this before. This is not newn to us living in the hiv hiv field unfortunately. To singly what is different is that was in the 1980s and here we are right in the 31st century where social media is pervasive. We have never experienced an epidemic or a pandemic where there is such a high prevalence of social media and so much access. Which is good in some ways. But can be a challenge and others. For for those of us in the scientific field, and even open active publishing. A flood of information and how you weave through it and process what his right and what is not. And how you make sense of something that is all new is very challenging for us. So when he gets put out there on social media, tryingpu to filter through what is true and not true becomes even more complicated. And with increased social distancing asnd well, being a recommendation, people are not getting information by wordofmouth as much. Theyre relying more so on the media. In social media to get their information. Weve done research in the African Community communities, 70 percent of africanamericans in their information from social media. We talked to duncans, 13 24 yearold spray to 30 percent of them tell us they rely and social media for their Health Information parties will really need to make sure the information that is out there, is accurate and understandable and not complicated by outside influencers and that as trend dr. Leana wen said, that scientific information gets out there and shared with the individuals. Its. Rebekah you really spent quite a bit of time on the road talking to people and working directly with communities all around the world. Your bit of a epidemiologist. As you have worked, it was focused more on hiv and aids. Ando you compare what you are caring for people working in that field, okay ine that area n the ground too what you are hearing from people now. Are they getting their information and how it is potentially impacting their reactions to that. Dr. Akinowo said during the covid19 response, i actually said, trained at cdc. Ive done outbreak investigations before. When the pandemic started, really tempted and volunteeredan my time and my expertise to helping with local Health Department response. So i would say i was fortunate enough to actually help with dozens if not hundreds of case investigations. And seen people who were getting infected with covid19 was unfortunately very similar to People Living with hiv and talking to them as well. When you say you are calling from the Health Department, they want verification. Are you really calling fromif te government. Or is a hoax. Given the political environment were living in in the disproportionate impact of people of color, there were often questions about has this information going to be used rated people did not want to spk with us if they were potential wai way immigrants were undocumented and worried have this information might affect that status we had to reassure them that it wouldnt. People initially were open to speaking with us. We were learning from their experiences and they also have lots of questions for us. And again very similar to the hiv epidemic. I would say that weve gotten more into this pandemic seven months in, im not doing those investigations myself as much but if you recall atve the end f the summer months that people were t tired, they were skeptic. They didnt necessarily want to share openly information about covid19 and other contacts. They were worried about their jobs. So these are real issues that we saw and i personally have experience in speaking to people llabout covid19. This is very challenging we really need to make sure that when we do have information to whspell and correct and any understandings that we can do that but i also think it is a challenge rest to be able to say, this is a new virus and we actually do not have all of the answers. And to hopefully help people understand that as soon as we do have the answers, we will share them to the general public. So its definitely been a challenge dispelling all of the hoaxes around this virus that was started through 5g. The certain populations have immunity to the virus. You we know this is not true. And also dispelling some of the racism and xenophobia and round this virus is really important. Rebekah speaking of racism and unified via. Related to around the virus. I wonder if you could give us a bit more of perspective from your research and your own experiences about how the notion of t disinformation has sort of changed over time and how it is being applied to different communities. Dr. Akinowo i remember speaking with the National Democratic institute a couple years ago. The human rights, was the first time he heard the board. And we had a conversation, she black rest but living in american having the conversation and in widely tatian marks. Within the conversation, we both felt that the reason why thank news, explains the situation of what we were feeling about women in politics was because it is a term that was essentially created and used to exclude everybody but us white people. It is a new term to explain the issues that the liberals were facing such as the president of the United States at the time and also politicians in the uk. For so long communities such as black communities in the uk and particularly african communities innd the uk are subjected to fakeness and disinformation. And plan it records. We felt this terminology was not capturing information been trying to distance itself from what is happening to us was actually more impactful. Only became a problem of democracy when it started to impact the white communities. With africanti americans engagig in politics. And from answering the phones. It disinformation has shaped so any communities particularly in will. [inaudible]. And the communities that i understandnd getting elected and if it was in the interest of the big numbers and businesses. And then they decided to care about it. And once they grappled with his disinformation. Information for everybody. Were still seeing higher markings of disinformation. When it comes to the covid19 crisis of disinformation releasing where impact certain communities. When the disinformation by amanda, and by some black leaders in the uk. No one called the doubts. No one even mentioned it or did any kind of countering campaigns. And then we found a couple months later that the black communities or four times more likely to die t from covid19. The disinformation was online by some black leaders are needed very idea of saying that it was manmade disease. The way it started to shifting. All the things im sure none of us heard. No one seems to want to grapple with his effect. Date we were four times more likely to die. This is something were saying online. And were more soe online now. And in ploppeddo down, they were believing it. Other communities back when we had to tackle the disinformation. The likes of jack dorsey to some extent marxism. And then disinformation when he became an issue around covid19. The way of is affecting women, it took the president of the United States to get to release the statement to clarify the rules around wishing people death. What is been happening to the black people, africanamericans, disabled people lgbt communities. Online and then followed offline, where attacks were carried offline. If there is such disparity and we talk about this disinformation. Who are we really centering. Who are the people we really care about. Rebekah you mentioned your experience as a counselor from east london. And of course todays panel, todays conference is really framed around the 2020 u. S. Election. But given your political experience in the uk, really around the world, you really work internationally. Whenever you can share with our audience of thoughts about how the u. S. Experience as an observer of the u. S. , compares to that that you experience in the uk and elsewhere. Dr. Akinowo the professions that i am constantly open to be in that amount of work that you do is amazing. If it does exist here, is quite underfunded. And there was a study they came out last year about how academ academia, only like the people made up about ten of them. So i sometimes get really wrapping around when americans are able to look at and apply socialoc work. Yet, we have this Oxford Institute and again we know what its like. And people getting to have access to all of the stuff. Part of me centers around how there is that openness. And to be severely underfunded so there is still an understanding and then obviously the sexuality of that and the Community Organizing. Thinking about Community Organizing and a potential for actual change so what would you like to see moving forward in terms of broadbased solutions . Y starting with you as a Public Health perspective . Absolutely we are now seven months into this pandemic now seeing the second wave they are seeing in europe and then also we are very for vaccines and we know that these communities of color are already skeptical of vaccines Vaccine Hesitancy so coupled with the mistrust and misinformation in the politicalization of the pandemic it could be a huge hurdle to overcome i think its really important we start thinking about the strategies we can lose to keep people thinking about preventiveto t measures but also Vaccine Hesitancy or a couple of things come to mind we need to get to the root cause to dismantle the notion of racism in the structural inequities with a large Initiative Effort and that will take years to do that i would echo about the data we need to be evidencebased in our approaches of where we can focus our resources to have an impacthe on those that are listed need making sure we get vaccine to those individuals to the most honorable and most at Risk Community engagement is the foundation so whether grassroots increasing Health Literacy or those at the table with the Drug Companies and how to do that in an equitable manner with that community engagement. There are ways that you can do this for taking the time to understand that cultural contact and the challenges and barriers of that understanding or year in which you are on here in the community that you are working in the last minute went to highlight that works very well loses Key Opinion Leaders if you can figure out who is a leader in that particular community and where they go from there information now on social media to figure out what those influences are and to vote to mitigate the misinformation and as soon as i see that doesnt sound right and to stop that information sharing in its tracks and with that evidence to right the wrong a new social media for the good in society and thinking about how this pandemic and play out will let those points with those Community Leaders but that is responsibility but to make sure those online communities and not being hijacked for those that they were meant to help and that understanding we all have a role to t play and on the platform and that was a quick every day something so bad and so significant but then to have them those office but then easy for you with the security sectors on the platform but i do have to start seeing those t online spaces but also with that longterm systematic change we call the the mp politicians these Tech Companies for all of their users and not just the shareholders. You have touched on quite a bit that is near and dear so then you actually do a great deal of training and to teach them how to be better citizens. Those types of people can follow and then if you might take a few minutes to have theev abbreviated version with those tips and tricks the recommended people either when they are experiencing harassment themselves or when they are witnessing and how they should on can support other people. And to launch the new series but also to let somebody know that whole dna to isolate you and to let somebody know tried to articulate because you need time off and to be really clear what you need from them and then to document that might help paint a picture and to find some patterns. But i never put the two togetherer so documenting this is important in one trawl the women and with that documentationn and particularly for women who have those conditions and then to set boundaries. And then as we go into another lockdown. That you want to see for example the ways we can increase with those Nations Online if youre not sure what to do and then actually affirming so we code sometimes exaggerate but its not okay. And with that citizenship will vote one way. And then also not speaking and then to model that. It made me think the ways that we can model civil disagreements and particularly here in the uk and with brexit and having much bigger geopolitics conversation online and how we can respectfully disagree. So i wonder if you have any thoughts think about our online cells and interaction from the Public Health perspective. A lot of that with the Public Health and then to think about in the pandemic what is everyone in school . What you are a student for trying to help other students understand where you are a communityy leader that everybody has played a role to stay at home and posting on facebook and learning how to cook and doing selfcare by exercising in my backyard and then to play a part in that response was your own emotional and physical wellbeing everyone has to play a role there its about health and even the negative and the bullying that happens online so its really important we think about these are Public Health issues that need to bee addressed with the cyberbully. But the very last question to put to both of you, you talked in general terms of the will of the platforms itself referencing jack dorsey in the head of twitter and Mark Zuckerberg to Corporate Leaders as well t as others sitting in front of you right now, socially distanced, distanced, what would you say to them or ask for them to do more focus on . That is a tough question. Right now i would ask them to allocate money or funding and give up some of the profits they are multibilliondollar startup companies. And those that are working for free and then to keep those Profit Margins healthy. And with that moneye be used in that is something the company should be paying for. And we part with money to care how that is being spent and that is the only way that they understand or care. So when you have a good chunk of money and then push for that longterm systematic change. But the little repercussions at the platform are being dealt with and with the high profile g and with that diplomatic longterm change were not seeing policy changes wereg form so that allocation a budget we are pushing for a longterm change. After putting on the hot seat first now we will turn for a final word. What in particular would you like to see the tech platforms or the companies themselves doing to help yourself . On the ground Public Health workers . I would want them to take the coins that the committee or the task force with the Public Health task force that is made up of expertse and Community Members and the Community Members and of course the broad beans on a broad range of ethnicity using these platforms of the comprehensive task was of the differentor opinions and the different perspective to try to be proactive instead of reactive so to think of the positive messages that can come w out working with individuals from local and state healthnd departments from the cdc researchers and academic institutions and how we can best message information so people get Accurate Information and we can try to prevent these issues we are facing now. Whether the response to cocaine with doctor she he has been a solid and reliable voice during those pandemic of finding those individuals as Key Opinion Leaders to help us get information out. That would be received well by a variety of communities thats the most important. Thank you. I am so grateful to both for joining us today to engage in discussion in such an important and timely topic and then to go to an incredible discussion about the threat of postelection violence and how is being organized on mine. Those experts for those that are currently taking shape so please stay with us for the conversation. But first i like to turn your attention to our director Steve Livingston for a few thoughts about todays event. A lesser media and Public Affairs and the director of the institute for democracy and politics. With the two core concerns and the threats to democracy rightparenthesis actors on platforms were too big and too complex for anger any single academic discipline and the computer and Data Scientist and i also knew with different vocabularies and professional expectations cross disciplinary work would befe hard at a time that we discover common passions and then to show the work with the public and then to be out to benefit others. I am very proud to say todays forum on these issues. And those challenges is associate with Fact Checking also about the impact of the pandemic in oured communities. With the postelection virus if you join us im sure youll find the next two panels interesting and informative. Thank you very much. s. Thank you for joining us and working from Arizona State universityiz