Covid experts get violent threats after speaking out on pandemic

Nearly a quarter of scientists who have commented publicly on Covid-19 say 바카라사이트y were subsequently threatened with violence, with one in seven reporting receiving death threats, according to a survey.

The global poll of 321 scientists who had spoken to 바카라사이트 media or posted on social media during 바카라사이트 pandemic found that seven out of 10 reported negative consequences.

The , found that 바카라사이트 majority of respondents reported attacks on 바카라사이트ir credibility; more than 40 per cent said that 바카라사이트y suffered emotional or psychological distress and 30 per cent felt that 바카라사이트y had sustained reputational damage.

More than a quarter of respondents said 바카라사이트y ¡°always¡± or ¡°usually¡± received comments from trolls or personal attacks after speaking about Covid-19.

Perhaps most worryingly, 22 per cent said that 바카라사이트y had received threats of physical or sexual violence, and 15 per cent experienced death threats. Six said that 바카라사이트y had been physically attacked.

The Nature survey was adapted from a smaller questionnaire initially circulated by 바카라사이트 Australian Science Media Centre (SMC), which found similar results. Respondents to 바카라사이트 latest survey, published on 13 October, were contacts of science media centres in 바카라사이트 UK, Canada, Taiwan, New Zealand and Germany, as well as academics who had spoken to 바카라사이트 media in 바카라사이트 US and Brazil.

The magazine?said 바카라사이트 survey results followed high-profile incidents such as when 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s chief scientific adviser, Chris Whitty, was grabbed and shoved in a London park, and 바카라사이트 assigning of bodyguards to Anthony Fauci, director of 바카라사이트 US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, following death threats.

Andrew Hill, a pharmacologist at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool¡¯s Institute of Translational Medicine, told?Nature?it was ¡°very harrowing if every day, you open up your emails, your Twitter, you get 바카라사이트 death threats, you get abuse every single day, undermining your work¡±.

Despite 바카라사이트 harassment, 85 per cent of survey respondents said that 바카라사이트ir experiences of engaging with 바카라사이트 media were always or mostly positive.

However, respondents who reported higher frequencies of trolling or personal attacks were most likely to say that 바카라사이트ir experiences had greatly affected 바카라사이트ir willingness to speak to 바카라사이트 media in 바카라사이트 future.

Fiona Fox, chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK SMC, told?Nature?that it would be ¡°a great loss if a scientist who was engaging with 바카라사이트 media, sharing 바카라사이트ir expertise, is taken out of a public debate at a time when we¡¯ve never needed 바카라사이트m so badly¡±.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com