> UK chief medical adviser Chris Whitty was grabbed and shoved in the street

Well he was, but that was nothing to do with him being a scientist nor vicious anti-vaxxers roaming the streets attacking people, it was a couple of idiot drunks who recognised him from the TV and decided to take a non-consensual selfie with him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg1Qr1bu5LI

Internet tribalism fueled by anonymity and boredom.

Eventually people will learn to make themselves inaccessible online, or at the very least, anonymous to 99.99% of people on the internet.

Keep your real name off of social media.

That doesn't work for people who need to be publicly accessible to some degree, like public health officials or school board members. But yes, I suppose most experts in the field could hide and never speak out instead of sharing their expertise.

> The police officer who visited Kuppalli after a second death-threat call suggested she should get herself a gun.

Welcome to the South