0:00:00.050,0:00:02.485 Whitney Pennington Rodgers:[br]Before we really dive in 0:00:02.509,0:00:04.548 to talking specifically[br]about Google's work 0:00:04.572,0:00:06.013 in the contact tracing space, 0:00:06.037,0:00:09.866 let's first set up the relationship[br]between public health and tech. 0:00:09.890,0:00:11.540 You know, I think a lot of people, 0:00:11.564,0:00:14.425 they hear "Google," and they think of[br]this big tech company. 0:00:14.449,0:00:15.889 They think of a search engine. 0:00:15.913,0:00:17.478 And there may be questions about 0:00:17.502,0:00:20.478 why does Google[br]have a chief health officer? 0:00:20.502,0:00:22.697 So could you talk a little bit[br]about your work 0:00:22.721,0:00:24.388 and the work your team does? 0:00:24.412,0:00:26.827 Karen DeSalvo: Yeah. Well,[br]maybe I'm the embodiment 0:00:26.851,0:00:28.921 of public health and tech coming together. 0:00:28.945,0:00:33.480 My background is, I practiced[br]medicine for 20 years, 0:00:33.504,0:00:36.739 though a part of my work[br]has always been in public health. 0:00:36.763,0:00:39.501 In fact, my first job,[br]putting myself through college, 0:00:39.525,0:00:42.590 was working at the state laboratory[br]in Massachusetts. 0:00:42.614,0:00:46.732 As the story will go with Joia [Mukherjee][br]we're reconnected again, 0:00:46.746,0:00:48.287 a Massachusetts theme. 0:00:48.311,0:00:53.210 And I, across the journey[br]of the work that I was doing 0:00:53.234,0:00:54.528 for my patients 0:00:54.552,0:00:56.264 to provide them information 0:00:56.288,0:01:00.191 and the right care and meet them[br]where they were medically, 0:01:00.215,0:01:01.450 translated into the work 0:01:01.474,0:01:04.298 that I did when I was[br]the Health Commissioner in New Orleans 0:01:04.322,0:01:07.606 and later when I had other roles[br]in public health practice, 0:01:07.630,0:01:11.464 that really is about thinking[br]of people and community 0:01:11.488,0:01:15.223 in the context in which they live[br]and how we provide the best information, 0:01:15.247,0:01:16.412 the best resources, 0:01:16.436,0:01:19.727 the best services that are[br]culturally and linguistically appropriate, 0:01:19.751,0:01:20.990 meet them where they are. 0:01:21.014,0:01:23.869 And when the opportunity arose[br]to join the team at Google, 0:01:23.893,0:01:25.282 I was really thrilled, 0:01:25.306,0:01:28.830 because one of the things[br]that I have learned across my journey 0:01:28.854,0:01:31.877 is that having the right[br]information at the right time 0:01:31.901,0:01:33.816 can make all the difference[br]in the world. 0:01:33.840,0:01:35.265 It can literally save lives. 0:01:35.289,0:01:37.580 And billions of people[br]come to Google every day 0:01:37.604,0:01:39.074 asking for information, 0:01:39.098,0:01:44.092 and so it is a tremendous opportunity[br]to have that right information 0:01:44.116,0:01:45.890 and those resources to people 0:01:45.914,0:01:47.981 so that they can make good choices, 0:01:48.005,0:01:50.110 so that they can have[br]the right information, 0:01:50.134,0:01:52.481 so that they can participate[br]in their own health, 0:01:52.505,0:01:54.944 but also, in the context[br]of this historic pandemic, 0:01:54.968,0:01:57.272 be a part of the broader health[br]of the community, 0:01:57.296,0:02:00.957 whether it's to flatten the curve[br]or keep the curve flat as we go forward. 0:02:02.500,0:02:05.618 WPR: And so it sounds like[br]that there is this connection, then, 0:02:05.642,0:02:08.482 between public health[br]and what Google's work is 0:02:08.506,0:02:12.701 in thinking about public education[br]and providing information. 0:02:12.725,0:02:15.326 And so could you talk[br]a little bit about that link 0:02:15.350,0:02:18.967 between public health[br]and public education and Google? 0:02:18.991,0:02:20.183 KD: Definitely. 0:02:20.207,0:02:22.885 You know, the essential[br]public health services 0:02:22.909,0:02:25.680 include communication and data, 0:02:25.704,0:02:29.923 and these are two areas where[br]tech in general, but certainly Google, 0:02:29.947,0:02:33.563 has an opportunity to partner[br]with the public health system 0:02:33.587,0:02:36.633 and with the public[br]for their health more broadly. 0:02:36.657,0:02:41.808 You know, going back[br]to the earlier days of this pandemic, 0:02:41.832,0:02:44.088 towards the end of January, 0:02:44.112,0:02:49.945 Google first leaned in to start[br]to put information out to the public 0:02:49.969,0:02:53.991 about how to find resources[br]in their local community, 0:02:54.015,0:02:57.916 from the CDC or from other[br]authoritative resources. 0:02:57.940,0:03:00.413 So on the search page,[br]we put up "knowledge panels," 0:03:00.437,0:03:01.951 is the way that we describe it, 0:03:01.975,0:03:04.175 and we did develop an SOS alert, 0:03:04.199,0:03:07.278 which is something[br]we've done for other crises, 0:03:07.302,0:03:09.679 and in this particular historic crisis, 0:03:09.703,0:03:13.418 we wanted to be certain[br]that when people went on to search, 0:03:13.442,0:03:16.222 that there was authoritative information, 0:03:16.246,0:03:19.362 which is always there but certainly[br]very prominently displayed, 0:03:19.386,0:03:22.512 and do that in partnership[br]with public health authorities. 0:03:22.536,0:03:27.372 So we began our journey[br]really very much in an information way 0:03:27.396,0:03:30.632 of making certain that people[br]knew how to get the right information 0:03:30.656,0:03:32.317 at the right time to save lives. 0:03:32.807,0:03:36.404 I think the journey for us[br]over the course of the last few months 0:03:36.428,0:03:41.521 has been to continue to lean in[br]on how we provide information 0:03:41.545,0:03:46.444 in partnership with[br]public health authorities in local areas, 0:03:46.468,0:03:49.823 directing people in a certain state[br]to their state's health department, 0:03:49.847,0:03:52.821 helping people get[br]information about testing. 0:03:52.845,0:03:55.054 There's also been, though, 0:03:55.078,0:03:59.052 a suite of resources that we wanted[br]to provide to the health care community, 0:03:59.076,0:04:03.610 whether that was for health care providers[br]that may not have access to PPE, 0:04:03.634,0:04:04.888 for example, 0:04:04.912,0:04:07.263 we did a partnership[br]with the CDC Foundation. 0:04:07.287,0:04:09.190 Though the scale of the company 0:04:09.214,0:04:12.074 and the opportunity for us[br]to partner with public health 0:04:12.098,0:04:17.730 around things like helping public health[br]understand if their blunt policies 0:04:17.754,0:04:20.187 around social distancing[br]to flatten the curve 0:04:20.211,0:04:23.110 were actually having an impact[br]on behavior in the community. 0:04:23.134,0:04:24.953 That's our community mobility reports. 0:04:24.977,0:04:29.491 We were asked by public health agencies[br]all across the world, 0:04:29.515,0:04:32.346 including some of[br]my colleagues here in the US, 0:04:32.370,0:04:35.525 could we help them have a better[br]evidence-based way to understand 0:04:35.549,0:04:38.828 the policies around social distancing[br]or shelter in place? 0:04:38.852,0:04:41.777 Which I think we'll talk about more later. 0:04:41.801,0:04:46.206 In addition to that sort of work,[br]also been working to support public health 0:04:46.230,0:04:50.049 in this really essential work[br]they're doing for contact tracing, 0:04:50.073,0:04:52.668 which is very human-resource intensive, 0:04:52.692,0:04:54.455 very complex, 0:04:54.479,0:04:56.808 incredibly important[br]to keep the curve flat 0:04:56.832,0:04:58.680 and prevent future outbreaks, 0:04:58.704,0:05:03.821 and give time and space for health care[br]and, importantly, science 0:05:03.845,0:05:07.007 to do the work they need to do[br]to create treatments 0:05:07.031,0:05:09.441 and, very importantly, a vaccine. 0:05:09.465,0:05:14.906 So that work around providing[br]an additional set of digital tools, 0:05:14.930,0:05:17.722 exposure notification[br]for the contact tracing community, 0:05:17.746,0:05:21.218 is one of the other areas where we've[br]been supporting the public health. 0:05:21.242,0:05:23.631 So we think, as we've thought[br]about this pandemic, 0:05:23.655,0:05:26.542 it's support the users,[br]which is the consumer. 0:05:26.566,0:05:29.463 There's also a health care system[br]and a scientific community 0:05:29.487,0:05:31.015 where we've been partnering. 0:05:31.039,0:05:32.741 And then, of course, public health. 0:05:32.765,0:05:38.391 And for me, I mean, Whitney,[br]this is just a wonderful opportunity 0:05:38.415,0:05:42.499 for Big Tech to come together[br]with the public health infrastructure. 0:05:42.523,0:05:45.344 Public health, as Joia was[br]sort of articulating before, 0:05:45.368,0:05:47.599 is often an unsung hero. 0:05:47.623,0:05:50.145 It saves your life every day,[br]but you didn't know it. 0:05:50.169,0:05:55.350 And it is also a pretty under-resourced[br]part of our health infrastructure, 0:05:55.374,0:05:57.372 globally, but especially in the US. 0:05:57.396,0:06:00.214 It's something I worked on a lot[br]before I came to Google. 0:06:00.238,0:06:02.414 And so the opportunity to partner 0:06:02.438,0:06:05.518 and do everything[br]that we can as a company 0:06:05.542,0:06:08.678 and, in this case, with contact tracing[br]in partnership with Apple 0:06:08.702,0:06:11.825 to create a very privacy-promoting,[br]useful, helpful product 0:06:11.849,0:06:14.479 that is going to be a part[br]of the bigger contact tracing 0:06:14.503,0:06:16.503 is something that we feel really proud of 0:06:16.527,0:06:19.292 and look forward to continuing[br]to work with public health. 0:06:19.316,0:06:23.061 In fact, we were on the phone this morning[br]with a suite of public health groups 0:06:23.085,0:06:24.236 from across the country, 0:06:24.260,0:06:27.450 listening again to what would be helpful[br]questions that they have. 0:06:27.474,0:06:29.636 And as we think about[br]rolling out the system, 0:06:29.660,0:06:32.864 this is the way that we've been[br]for the last many months at Google, 0:06:32.888,0:06:36.483 and I'm just really ... 0:06:36.507,0:06:41.079 I landed at a place just a few months[br]ago -- I just started at Google -- 0:06:41.103,0:06:44.523 where we can have an impact[br]on what people know 0:06:44.547,0:06:45.728 all across the world. 0:06:45.752,0:06:48.856 And I'll tell you, as a public[br]health professional and as a doc, 0:06:48.880,0:06:50.830 that is one of the most critical things. 0:06:50.854,0:06:52.824 People need to have the right information 0:06:52.848,0:06:55.064 so they can help navigate[br]their health journey, 0:06:55.088,0:06:58.898 but also especially in this pandemic[br]because it's going to save lives. 0:07:00.201,0:07:01.642 WPR: That's great. Thank you. 0:07:01.666,0:07:05.677 So, to talk more about[br]this contact tracing system 0:07:05.701,0:07:07.935 and the exposure notification app, 0:07:07.959,0:07:10.145 we've read so much about this. 0:07:10.169,0:07:13.096 Could you describe this,[br]a little bit about how the app works, 0:07:13.120,0:07:15.609 what exactly are users seeing, 0:07:15.633,0:07:18.183 what information is being collected? 0:07:18.207,0:07:21.753 Just give us sort of a broad sense[br]of what this app does. 0:07:22.276,0:07:23.429 KD: Yeah. 0:07:23.453,0:07:25.996 Let me just start[br]by explaining what it is, 0:07:26.020,0:07:28.683 and it's actually not even an app, 0:07:28.707,0:07:30.318 it's just an API. 0:07:30.342,0:07:37.259 It's a system that allows[br]a public health agency 0:07:37.283,0:07:39.726 to create an app, 0:07:39.750,0:07:44.021 and only the API,[br]this doorway to the phone system, 0:07:44.045,0:07:45.604 is available to public health. 0:07:45.628,0:07:47.935 So it's not designed for any other purpose 0:07:47.959,0:07:50.842 than to support public health[br]and the work that they're doing 0:07:50.866,0:07:54.342 in COVID-19 in contact tracing. 0:07:54.366,0:07:57.552 The second piece of this[br]is that we wanted to build a system 0:07:57.576,0:07:59.160 that was privacy-promoting, 0:07:59.184,0:08:00.995 that really put the user first, 0:08:01.019,0:08:04.763 gave them the opportunity[br]to opt into the system 0:08:04.787,0:08:07.358 and opt out whenever[br]they wanted to do that, 0:08:07.382,0:08:11.366 so they also have some control[br]over how they're engaging 0:08:11.390,0:08:13.625 and using their phone, basically, 0:08:13.649,0:08:17.966 as a part of keeping the curve[br]flat around the world. 0:08:17.990,0:08:21.995 The system was developed in response[br]to requests that we were getting 0:08:22.019,0:08:26.678 about how could technology,[br]particularly smartphones, 0:08:26.702,0:08:30.480 be useful in contact tracing? 0:08:30.504,0:08:35.058 And as we thought this through[br]and talked with public health experts 0:08:35.082,0:08:36.882 and academics and privacy experts, 0:08:36.906,0:08:40.853 it was pretty clear that obviously[br]contract tracing is a complex endeavor 0:08:40.877,0:08:43.218 that does require human resources, 0:08:43.242,0:08:47.292 because there's a lot[br]of very particular things 0:08:47.316,0:08:50.018 that you need to do[br]in having conversations with people 0:08:50.042,0:08:51.895 as part of contact tracing. 0:08:51.919,0:08:53.157 On the other hand, 0:08:53.181,0:08:59.161 there's some opportunity[br]to better inform the contact investigators 0:08:59.185,0:09:02.881 with things like, particularly,[br]an exposure log. 0:09:02.905,0:09:06.278 So one of the things that happens[br]when the contact tracer calls you 0:09:06.302,0:09:08.216 or visits you is they ask, 0:09:08.240,0:09:10.253 "Hey, in the last certain number of days," 0:09:10.277,0:09:14.102 and in the case of COVID, it would be[br]a couple days before symptoms developed, 0:09:14.126,0:09:17.336 "Hey, tell us the story of what[br]you've been involved in doing 0:09:17.360,0:09:20.504 so that we can begin to think through[br]where you might have been, 0:09:20.528,0:09:23.658 to the grocery or to church[br]or what other activities 0:09:23.682,0:09:26.203 and with whom you might[br]have been into contact." 0:09:26.227,0:09:28.852 There's some amount of recall bias[br]in that for all us, 0:09:28.876,0:09:31.258 like we forget where we might have been, 0:09:31.282,0:09:34.479 and there's also an amount[br]of anonymous contact. 0:09:34.503,0:09:36.953 So there are times when[br]we're out in the world, 0:09:36.977,0:09:39.291 on a bus or in a store, 0:09:39.315,0:09:43.590 and we may have come into prolonged[br]and close contact with someone 0:09:43.614,0:09:45.162 and wouldn't know who they were. 0:09:45.186,0:09:46.678 And so the augmentation 0:09:46.702,0:09:49.965 that the exposure[br]notification system provides 0:09:49.989,0:09:52.013 is designed to fill in those gaps 0:09:52.037,0:09:55.121 and to expedite the notification[br]to public health 0:09:55.145,0:09:56.637 of who has a positive test, 0:09:56.661,0:09:58.577 because the person would have notified, 0:09:58.601,0:10:01.050 they trigger something[br]that notifies public health, 0:10:01.074,0:10:05.963 and then to fill in some of those gaps[br]in the prior exposure. 0:10:05.987,0:10:11.596 What it does not do is it does not use[br]GPS or location to track people. 0:10:11.620,0:10:14.306 So the system actually uses[br]something different 0:10:14.330,0:10:16.077 called Bluetooth Low Energy, 0:10:16.101,0:10:18.302 which is privacy-preserving, 0:10:18.326,0:10:20.295 it doesn't drain the battery 0:10:20.319,0:10:23.288 and it makes it more also interoperable 0:10:23.312,0:10:25.551 between both Apple and the Android system 0:10:25.575,0:10:27.828 so it's more useful,[br]not only in the US context, 0:10:27.852,0:10:29.399 but globally. 0:10:29.423,0:10:32.068 So we built this system[br]in response to some requests 0:10:32.092,0:10:34.542 to help augment[br]the contact-tracing systems. 0:10:34.566,0:10:37.160 We wanted to do it in a way[br]that was user-controlled 0:10:37.184,0:10:38.629 and privacy-preserving 0:10:38.653,0:10:41.486 and had technological features 0:10:41.510,0:10:46.626 that would allow public health[br]to augment the exposure log 0:10:46.650,0:10:50.337 in a way that would accelerate[br]the work that they needed to get done 0:10:50.361,0:10:53.583 to interrupt transmission --[br]keep the R naught less than one -- 0:10:53.607,0:10:58.757 and do that in a way that we would also[br]be able to partner with public health 0:10:58.781,0:11:00.124 to think about risk scoring. 0:11:00.148,0:11:02.983 We could talk more about[br]any of these areas that you want, 0:11:03.007,0:11:05.282 but I think maybe 0:11:05.306,0:11:08.221 one of the most important things[br]that I want to say, Whitney, 0:11:08.245,0:11:11.559 is how grateful Apple and Google are -- 0:11:11.583,0:11:14.651 I'll take a moment to speak[br]for my colleagues at Apple -- 0:11:14.675,0:11:18.202 to the great partnership[br]from public health across the world 0:11:18.226,0:11:20.491 and to academics and to others 0:11:20.515,0:11:23.402 who have helped us think through[br]how this can be, 0:11:23.426,0:11:25.253 how the exposure notification system 0:11:25.277,0:11:27.588 fits into the broader[br]contact tracing portfolio, 0:11:27.612,0:11:31.271 and how it does it in a way[br]that really respects and protects privacy 0:11:31.295,0:11:33.288 and also is useful to public health. 0:11:33.312,0:11:35.705 We're still on this journey with them, 0:11:35.729,0:11:38.483 and I really believe that[br]we're going to be able to help, 0:11:38.507,0:11:41.398 and I'm looking forward[br]to being a part of the great work 0:11:41.422,0:11:44.278 that public health's got to do[br]on the front lines every day, 0:11:44.302,0:11:45.468 been doing, frankly, 0:11:45.492,0:11:47.163 but needs to be able to step up. 0:11:48.020,0:11:51.364 WPR: That's great, and thank you[br]for that really detailed explanation. 0:11:51.388,0:11:55.269 And you know, we actually have Chris here[br]with some questions from our community, 0:11:55.293,0:11:57.373 so why don't we turn there really quickly. 0:11:57.856,0:12:00.654 Chris Anderson: Yep.[br]Questions pouring in, Karen. 0:12:00.678,0:12:04.010 Here's one from Vishal Gurbuxani. 0:12:04.034,0:12:05.205 Uh ... Gurbu -- 0:12:05.229,0:12:08.306 I've pronounced that horribly wrong,[br]but make up your own mind. 0:12:08.330,0:12:11.408 Vishal, we'll connect later[br]and you can tell me how to say that. 0:12:11.432,0:12:15.139 KD: Fabulous last name. I love that.[br]That's a Scrabble word. 0:12:15.163,0:12:16.859 CA: "Given where we are today, 0:12:16.883,0:12:19.277 how should employees think about[br]returning to work, 0:12:19.301,0:12:21.512 with so many conflicting messages?" 0:12:23.633,0:12:27.761 KD: This has been an important part[br]of my work for the last few months. 0:12:27.785,0:12:31.239 I joined Google in December,[br]and all this started happening. 0:12:31.263,0:12:35.576 The pandemic in the world[br]first began in November 0:12:35.600,0:12:39.706 but it got very hot[br]in many parts of the world 0:12:39.730,0:12:40.893 in the last few months, 0:12:40.917,0:12:43.961 and we've been thinking a lot[br]about how to protect Googlers 0:12:43.985,0:12:45.547 but also protect the community. 0:12:45.571,0:12:48.277 I've been talking a lot about[br]what we've done externally. 0:12:48.301,0:12:50.628 You know, internally,[br]Google made a decision 0:12:50.652,0:12:52.715 to go to work-from-home pretty early. 0:12:52.739,0:12:54.367 We believed that we could. 0:12:54.391,0:12:58.664 We believed that in all the places[br]across the world where we have offices, 0:12:58.688,0:13:01.552 that the more we could not only model 0:13:01.576,0:13:04.866 but frankly just be[br]a part of flattening the curve, 0:13:04.890,0:13:08.191 that we would be good citizens. 0:13:08.215,0:13:11.537 So we have been fairly ... 0:13:11.561,0:13:14.903 I don't know if the right word[br]is conservative or assertive, about it, 0:13:14.927,0:13:18.676 because we really wanted to make sure[br]that we were doing everything we could 0:13:18.700,0:13:23.023 just to get people to shelter in place[br]and socially distance. 0:13:23.047,0:13:25.616 A lot of other companies[br]have been doing the same, 0:13:25.640,0:13:28.344 and I think the choices[br]that people are making 0:13:28.368,0:13:32.140 are going to be predicated[br]on a whole array of factors: 0:13:32.164,0:13:34.068 the rates of local transmission; 0:13:34.092,0:13:36.083 governmental expectations; 0:13:36.107,0:13:39.839 the ability to work from home; 0:13:39.863,0:13:42.552 the individual characteristics[br]of the workers themselves, 0:13:42.576,0:13:45.425 how much risk they might have[br]or how much risk it would be 0:13:45.449,0:13:47.772 for them to bring that back[br]into their household 0:13:47.796,0:13:49.956 if they have people[br]living in their household 0:13:49.980,0:13:52.726 who would be at increased risk[br]from morbidity, mortality, 0:13:52.750,0:13:54.598 from suffering and death, from COVID. 0:13:54.622,0:13:58.236 So these are individual[br]and local considerations. 0:13:58.260,0:14:04.734 I think for us as a company, we want[br]to, as we've talked about publicly, 0:14:04.758,0:14:09.218 we want to continue to be a part[br]of the public health solution 0:14:09.242,0:14:10.672 around social distancing, 0:14:10.696,0:14:14.126 and so that for us means[br]continuing to encourage work-from-home 0:14:14.150,0:14:15.523 for our employees 0:14:15.547,0:14:19.649 and really only be in if it's essential[br]that people are in the workplace. 0:14:19.673,0:14:23.724 And we've said publicly that we're going[br]to be doing that for many months to come. 0:14:23.748,0:14:25.641 Now, here's one thing I do want to say, 0:14:25.665,0:14:27.563 which is, 0:14:28.357,0:14:32.607 working from home[br]has definite benefits, 0:14:32.631,0:14:35.778 not only for the pandemic, 0:14:35.802,0:14:42.556 but for some people,[br]time for commute, etc. 0:14:42.580,0:14:45.961 I think we're already learning[br]there are some downsides, 0:14:45.985,0:14:47.876 and there are generic downsides, 0:14:47.900,0:14:50.488 even just not from work-from-home[br]but school-from-home 0:14:50.512,0:14:51.697 and just being at home, 0:14:51.721,0:14:53.484 which is: social isolation is real. 0:14:53.508,0:14:54.733 It causes depression. 0:14:54.757,0:14:57.115 It has physical impacts[br]on people's bodies; 0:14:57.139,0:14:58.635 there's science around this. 0:14:58.659,0:15:02.058 So as the world is weighing, 0:15:02.082,0:15:03.459 even beyond the pandemic, 0:15:03.483,0:15:07.306 when we've achieved herd immunity 0:15:07.330,0:15:09.542 because we've been able[br]to vaccinate the world 0:15:09.566,0:15:12.763 with a functioning vaccine[br]that creates immunity, 0:15:12.787,0:15:14.982 I think probably a lot of workplaces 0:15:15.006,0:15:17.177 are going to want[br]to encourage work-from-home. 0:15:17.201,0:15:21.052 But I just want us also to remember[br]that part of humanity is community, 0:15:21.076,0:15:25.783 and so we'll have to be thinking through[br]how we balance those activities. 0:15:25.807,0:15:28.670 CA: And, of course, there are[br]huge swathes of the economy 0:15:28.694,0:15:31.181 that can't work from home. 0:15:31.205,0:15:33.901 We're a lucky few who can. 0:15:33.925,0:15:37.158 And speaking of which,[br]here's a question from Otho Kerr. 0:15:37.182,0:15:39.364 "Vulnerable communities[br]seem to be receiving 0:15:39.388,0:15:41.679 a disproportionate amount[br]of misinformation. 0:15:41.703,0:15:42.955 What is Google doing 0:15:42.979,0:15:45.991 to help make sure these communities[br]are receiving accurate news 0:15:46.015,0:15:47.710 rather than fake news?" 0:15:47.734,0:15:50.515 KD: You know, vulnerable communities[br]is where I have spent 0:15:50.539,0:15:52.385 most of my career focused. 0:15:52.409,0:15:56.100 I think with many things[br]that we've learned as a society 0:15:56.124,0:15:57.517 in this pandemic 0:15:57.541,0:16:00.039 were things that we,[br]frankly, should have known. 0:16:00.063,0:16:03.950 And before I get to the information,[br]I'll just talk about access to services, 0:16:03.974,0:16:09.407 which is to say, and to brag, I guess,[br]on my hometown of New Orleans. 0:16:09.431,0:16:12.807 One of the early things[br]that New Orleans learned, 0:16:12.831,0:16:14.816 or remembered or whatever, 0:16:14.840,0:16:18.004 was that drive-through testing[br]only works if you have a car. 0:16:18.028,0:16:21.764 So you need walk-up testing,[br]and it needs to be in the neighborhood. 0:16:21.788,0:16:23.842 We need to meet people where they are, 0:16:23.866,0:16:28.716 and it's thematic of all the work that we[br]did after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans 0:16:28.740,0:16:31.847 was to build back a health care[br]and public health infrastructure 0:16:31.871,0:16:35.602 that was community-oriented,[br]built with community not for community. 0:16:35.626,0:16:41.179 Of all the many things that I really[br]do hope last from this pandemic, 0:16:41.203,0:16:44.321 one of them, though, is that[br]we're being much more conscious 0:16:44.345,0:16:48.244 of building with especially[br]vulnerable communities 0:16:48.268,0:16:51.494 and building out policies and processes 0:16:51.518,0:16:55.125 that are as inclusive as possible. 0:16:55.149,0:17:00.477 For Google information,[br]we start with, 0:17:00.501,0:17:03.223 on the search platform, for example, 0:17:03.247,0:17:04.655 adding up knowledge panels, 0:17:04.679,0:17:09.390 that we spend time making sure are[br]linguistically and culturally appropriate. 0:17:09.414,0:17:12.029 We tend to start globally, 0:17:12.053,0:17:15.349 with global authoritative groups[br]like the World Health Organization 0:17:15.373,0:17:17.385 or the National Health Service or CDC, 0:17:17.409,0:17:22.863 and then we begin to build down[br]to more focused jurisdictions. 0:17:22.887,0:17:25.883 On other platforms[br]that we have like YouTube, 0:17:25.907,0:17:27.978 we've built out special channels 0:17:28.002,0:17:31.993 where we do, because[br]it's a platform and we can host content, 0:17:32.017,0:17:34.342 we've partnered with creatives -- 0:17:34.366,0:17:36.915 we call them, I don't know,[br]that's a new thing for me 0:17:36.939,0:17:38.129 because I'm a doctor -- 0:17:38.153,0:17:41.438 but we've partnered[br]with creatives and influencers 0:17:41.462,0:17:43.809 whose reach resonates with communities. 0:17:43.833,0:17:46.758 We have had particular programming,[br]for example, for seniors, 0:17:46.782,0:17:48.055 African-Americans, 0:17:48.079,0:17:50.415 so "vulnerable" takes on[br]a lot of meaning for us 0:17:50.439,0:17:51.943 globally and in the US context. 0:17:51.967,0:17:53.612 Our work is not done, 0:17:53.636,0:17:58.072 and we certainly every day are thinking[br]about how we can do more 0:17:58.096,0:18:01.410 to see that the information is accessible, 0:18:01.434,0:18:02.608 accurate 0:18:02.632,0:18:06.326 and also, frankly, interesting[br]so that people want to engage. 0:18:06.350,0:18:07.868 CA: Yeah. 0:18:07.892,0:18:09.254 Alright, thank you Karen. 0:18:09.278,0:18:11.752 I'll be back in a bit[br]with some other questions. 0:18:12.751,0:18:14.201 WPR: Thank you, Chris. 0:18:16.161,0:18:19.154 And you know, and this is really[br]wonderful talking about 0:18:19.178,0:18:22.884 more broadly, where you see[br]tech and public health going, 0:18:22.908,0:18:25.831 and specifically, talking about[br]these vulnerable communities. 0:18:25.855,0:18:29.470 And I think one thing,[br]even just beyond Google, 0:18:29.494,0:18:32.070 it would be interesting[br]to sort of hear your thoughts 0:18:32.094,0:18:35.774 on where you see tech in general[br]better serving public health, 0:18:35.798,0:18:37.669 if there are spaces that you think, 0:18:37.693,0:18:40.853 no matter which tech company[br]we're talking about, 0:18:40.877,0:18:44.005 we could all sort of come together[br]to better serve the community. 0:18:44.029,0:18:46.031 Do you have any thoughts on that? 0:18:47.349,0:18:50.665 KD: I could spend several hours[br]talking to you about that, 0:18:50.689,0:18:54.630 but maybe I'll just start by saying 0:18:54.654,0:19:01.005 that I came to tech 0:19:01.029,0:19:04.521 through the pathway[br]of direct patient care 0:19:04.545,0:19:07.585 and public health service[br]in local community, 0:19:07.609,0:19:11.938 and I ended up in a role[br]in the federal government 0:19:11.962,0:19:14.086 as the National Coordinator for Health IT, 0:19:14.110,0:19:17.366 which, for my background,[br]felt unusual to me, 0:19:17.390,0:19:18.741 I'm just being honest. 0:19:18.765,0:19:21.142 And I thought, well,[br]I'm not really a tech person, 0:19:21.166,0:19:22.880 but the secretary at the time said, 0:19:22.904,0:19:26.061 "That's exactly why we need you,[br]because we need to apply tech." 0:19:26.085,0:19:30.012 And she had had the unfortunate experience[br]of hearing me chirp about 0:19:30.036,0:19:35.383 how public health needed more timely data[br]to make better evidence-based policy 0:19:35.407,0:19:37.520 on behalf of community and with community. 0:19:37.544,0:19:41.033 This was a source of frustration for me[br]as a local public health officer, 0:19:41.057,0:19:43.815 that sometimes the data[br]I was working on, though great, 0:19:43.839,0:19:46.571 was stale by the time[br]I needed to make decisions 0:19:46.595,0:19:50.362 about chronic disease interventions,[br]or mental health or even violence 0:19:50.386,0:19:52.133 or intimate partner violence issues 0:19:52.157,0:19:53.729 in my community. 0:19:53.753,0:19:57.812 And so the desire to make data[br]useful and accessible 0:19:57.836,0:20:00.326 to support people in communities 0:20:00.350,0:20:03.090 is something that's been[br]burning in me for a long time, 0:20:03.114,0:20:07.319 and what I have learned[br]since I have been out in Silicon Valley 0:20:07.343,0:20:12.313 is that that desire burns[br]in the bellies of many people 0:20:12.337,0:20:15.581 who work at Google and Apple[br]and other companies, 0:20:15.605,0:20:20.317 and it's been really wonderful to see, 0:20:20.341,0:20:23.403 during this horrible time of the pandemic, 0:20:23.427,0:20:27.982 the incredibly brilliant[br]engineering and programming 0:20:28.006,0:20:30.409 and other minds at a company like Google 0:20:30.433,0:20:33.935 turn their attention on[br]how can we partner with consumers 0:20:33.959,0:20:36.212 and with public health[br]to do the right thing, 0:20:36.236,0:20:38.472 to bring the resources[br]that we have to bear. 0:20:38.496,0:20:42.956 And I said I could talk all day about it[br]because I have many examples 0:20:42.980,0:20:45.087 from the work that we have done at Google. 0:20:45.111,0:20:47.795 Maybe I'll just point out a couple. 0:20:47.819,0:20:51.087 One is to say that 0:20:51.111,0:20:57.120 we very early on wanted to find[br]a crisp way to help people understand 0:20:57.144,0:21:00.402 what they could do to protect[br]themselves and their community, 0:21:00.426,0:21:02.997 to flatten the curve,[br]get the R naught less than one, 0:21:03.021,0:21:06.754 and this "Do the Five" work[br]that our teams, largely in marketing 0:21:06.778,0:21:09.245 but then a lot of other people weighed in. 0:21:09.269,0:21:11.653 It required massive amounts of talent 0:21:11.677,0:21:15.960 to make that available[br]on our landing page, on search, 0:21:15.984,0:21:19.175 and then fold it out more broadly. 0:21:19.199,0:21:22.325 We did that in partnership[br]with the World Health Organization, 0:21:22.349,0:21:24.974 then the CDC, then with countries[br]all across the world 0:21:24.998,0:21:27.609 to get simple messaging[br]about staying home if you can 0:21:27.633,0:21:30.021 and coughing into your elbow,[br]washing your hands. 0:21:30.045,0:21:31.899 These are basic public health messages 0:21:31.923,0:21:36.088 that public health has been,[br]frankly, even in flu season 0:21:36.112,0:21:37.489 trying to get the word out, 0:21:37.513,0:21:39.717 but it became, 0:21:39.741,0:21:42.012 the resources at a company like a Google, 0:21:42.036,0:21:43.781 and the reach to billions, 0:21:43.805,0:21:46.408 it's a platform and a set of talents 0:21:46.432,0:21:50.501 that aren't even the technical,[br]computer vision kind of stuff 0:21:50.525,0:21:52.929 that you would typically think about. 0:21:52.953,0:21:56.408 Many other companies in Silicon Valley[br]have weighed in in the same way. 0:21:56.432,0:21:59.387 I think similarly,[br]we've been thinking through 0:21:59.411,0:22:05.172 how we can use tools like[br]the community mobility reports. 0:22:05.196,0:22:06.406 This is something, 0:22:06.430,0:22:08.634 a business backer[br]like we have for restaurants. 0:22:08.658,0:22:11.694 The engineers and scientists said, 0:22:11.718,0:22:17.153 what if we applied that to retail[br]and grocery stores and transportation 0:22:17.177,0:22:19.272 to get a snapshot in a community 0:22:19.296,0:22:22.999 of whether people[br]were using those areas less, 0:22:23.023,0:22:26.748 whether people were adhering[br]to local public health expectations 0:22:26.772,0:22:29.376 and sheltering in place, 0:22:29.400,0:22:31.813 and give that information[br]not only to public health 0:22:31.837,0:22:32.991 but to the public 0:22:33.015,0:22:36.059 to help inspire them[br]to do more for their community 0:22:36.083,0:22:37.829 as well as for themselves. 0:22:37.853,0:22:41.099 So there has been, I think[br]what I'm trying to say, Whitney, 0:22:41.123,0:22:42.966 is I think there's a natural marriage, 0:22:42.990,0:22:48.457 and COVID has been an accelerant use case[br]to demonstrate how that can work, 0:22:48.481,0:22:54.539 and it is my expectation[br]that companies like Google 0:22:54.563,0:22:58.266 who, certainly for us it's in our DNA[br]to be involved in health, 0:22:58.290,0:23:01.289 will want to continue[br]working on this going forward, 0:23:01.313,0:23:05.969 because it's really not just good for what[br]we need to get done in this pandemic, 0:23:05.993,0:23:08.468 but public health and prevention 0:23:08.492,0:23:12.258 are part and parcel[br]of how we create opportunity 0:23:12.282,0:23:15.547 and equity in all communities[br]across the world. 0:23:15.571,0:23:18.246 So I'm passionate about[br]the work of public health 0:23:18.270,0:23:20.183 and very passionate about partnership. 0:23:20.207,0:23:21.660 Can I just say one more thing? 0:23:21.684,0:23:23.051 WPR: Absolutely. 0:23:23.075,0:23:24.296 KD: Which is to say 0:23:24.320,0:23:27.577 that one of the first things that I did[br]before the pandemic started, 0:23:27.601,0:23:29.249 I had just started in December, 0:23:29.273,0:23:32.637 and then in January, I did[br]a listening session with consumers 0:23:32.661,0:23:33.950 about what they wanted, 0:23:33.974,0:23:36.679 and they said something[br]kind of similar to what you said, 0:23:36.703,0:23:38.218 which I just want to call out, 0:23:38.242,0:23:39.417 and that is, 0:23:39.441,0:23:42.813 they wanted partnership,[br]they wanted transparency 0:23:42.837,0:23:45.136 and they really felt like[br]there was quite a lot 0:23:45.160,0:23:47.335 that tech in general could do 0:23:47.359,0:23:49.430 to help them on their health journey. 0:23:49.454,0:23:52.693 But their ask was that we did it[br]in a transparent way 0:23:52.717,0:23:55.868 and we did it in a partnered[br]way with them. 0:23:55.892,0:23:59.644 And so as we move out of the pandemic,[br]and we're thinking more about consumers, 0:23:59.668,0:24:01.760 I want to carry some of this spirit also 0:24:01.784,0:24:03.245 of prevention and helpfulness 0:24:03.269,0:24:05.669 and transparency 0:24:05.693,0:24:09.298 into the work that we're going to continue[br]to do for people every day.