The UK Covid inquiry evidence session has ended. If you're just joining us here are the headlines that emerged today:

• Scotland's national clinical director admitted he used an auto-delete function on a Covid WhatsApp chat during the pandemic
• Professor Jason Leitch said a WhatsApp comment he made, previously shown at the inquiry, about deleting messages as a "pre-bed ritual" was a "flippant exaggeration"
• He insisted he was following Scottish government guidance on informal messages
• Prof Leitch also denied giving the then-Health Secretary Humza Yousaf a workaround for wearing masks at an event
• A message showed he advised Humza Yousaf to keep a drink in his hand at all times to remain "exempt" from specific mask rules at a dinner event
• Prof Leitch told the now first minister "literally no-one" followed official guidance about wearing a mask when not seated at dinner, but he denied giving a "workaround"
• The inquiry heard that former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Professor Devi Sridhar she could contact her using a personal email address
• Prof Sridhar also told the inquiry she experienced death threats, racism and sexism while making media appearances during the pandemic

That's all from our live coverage of the inquiry today. We'll be back with more tomorrow morning from 10:00. Your editors today were Paul O'Hare and Paul McLaren. The writers were Rachel Grant and Craig Hutchison.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon wasn't giving evidence at the inquiry today, but she still drew much of the attention.

The Scottish Conservatives have accused the former first minister of a "shameful attempt to evade scrutiny" by sharing her SNP email address with Professor Devi Sridhar.

“On top of deleting all of her WhatsApp messages, the then-first minister was content to carry out sensitive government business via her personal party email, in spite of the reservations of her adviser," said party chairman Craig Hoy.

“This matters because she knew fine well that personal email exchanges can’t be obtained through Freedom of Information requests.

“It was calculated, secretive and unacceptable."

Two professors... two very different approachespublished at 17:04 Greenwich Mean Time 23 January

17:04 GMT 23 January

Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Professor Morris indicates it was a privilege to chair a group with so many diverse viewpoints.

But his comments suggest a difference in approach with the earlier witness, Professor Devi Sridhar.

He notes that when it came to strategy the majority of the Scottish Covid advisory group believed maximum suppression of the virus was the only option and that Prof Sridhar was in a minority of one in advocating for an elimination strategy.

He indicates that he didn't have any informal routes of communication with the first minister and remarks that the purpose of the group was to be useful rather than famous.

Rather pointed...

Jamie Dawson KC asks Prof Morris if he had any informal communication with ministers, such as emails and texts.

The expert replies: "When we established this group I was very keen to remind members that our job was to inform policy, not to make it.

"And I was also very clear about how we should interact with colleagues."

Prof Morris says there were five ways the first minister would be made aware of the group's output.

One was if it responded to commissioned advice, while another was if it gave advice on its own intiative.

The group - which Prof Devi Sridhar was later invited to join - also commented on policy documents.

Separately, Prof Morris chaired 11 "deep dive" meetings, of which the first minister attended nine.

Lastly, he would give ministers an informal update after each Sage meeting.

Prof Morris adds: "I had no other direct contact with any ministers."

He also tells the inquiry he believed the group's members should be "useful rather than famous".

Jamie Dawson KC asks how the members of the Covid advisory group were selected.

Prof Morris explains a draft membership of the group was compiled in discussion with the chief medical officer (CMO) and chief scientific adviser.

Prof Morris says a draft list was then presented to himself, the CMO and DCMO (Deputy Chief Medical Officer) for comment.

He suggested Prof Aziz Sheikh should be added to the group and the CMO recommended Prof Devi Sirdhir join, while the DPO recommended Dr Jim McMenamin join.

Prof Morris says the group was well constituted and manageable in size and could engage with the Scottish scientific advisory group.

There is a technical issue with the live stream, above, which we are trying to resolve.

Prof Morris says the chief medical officer did not attend every meeting of the advisory group, but adds they were always represented.

Dr Catherine Calderwood, who resigned in April 2020, attended three.

And her successor, Prof Gregor Smith, was present at 32.

Prof Morris says 60 were held in total.

Jamie Dawson KC asks if this means Prof Smith was "insufficiently engaging" with the group.

Prof Morris replies: "There are multiple demands on the CMO's time."

Lack of data on ethnic groups remains a serious issuepublished at 16:35 Greenwich Mean Time 23 January

16:35 GMT 23 January

Kirsten Campbell
BBC Scotland political correspondent

One of the themes that's becoming apparent during the inquiry's hearings is the impact the lockdown regulations had on different communities and in particular disadvantaged groups.

We've already heard from lawyers representing disabled people that they felt left behind during the pandemic.

There's evidence that the virus had a disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities, but Professor Andrew Morris has told the inquiry the available data wasn't sufficiently granular to be of much use.

The Scottish Covid-19 advisory group called for better data. But the lack of it appears to remain an issue to this day.

Image source, Getty Images

Jamie Dawson KC turns to the number of people who were infected or died in Scotland's care homes.

Prof Morris tells the inquiry "there was an epidemic within an epidemic" and that there were major conncerns about the impact of the pandemic on some of the highest-risk individuals who are residing in care homes.

He says a Scottish government nosocomial (hospital acquired infection) advisory group had been convened which was defining policy in relation to care homes.

Mr Dawson says after the first minister led a "deep dive" on care homes, an announcement was made on 21 April 2020 including the requirement for someone who was moved from a hospital to a care home being required to have two negative tests.

Prof Morris says in June 2020 he highlighted the shortage and lack of availability of of data around how the virus affected ethnic minority groups.

The Scottish government then set up an expert group to focus on the issue.

But he accepts that, even today, there remains a "lack of sufficient data" on the how Covid affected disadvantaged groups.

Mr Dawson put it to the expert that this extends to other disadvantaged groups, such as the disabled.

Prof Morris says: "I think this is a broader problem. I agree."

Prof Morris explains his group was invited to make comments on the strategy, which it did on 14 April 2020.

The academic says it was important to communicate to the public we would be living with this virus as best as possible and elimination was not an option.

He says it called for four-nation working within the UK.

Thirdly, the importance of practical guidelines for the public using behavioural science was stressed, he adds.

Lastly, they highlighted the importance of the impact on disadvantaged groups like ethnic minorities, the homeless or the disabled.

Jamie Dawson KC asks Prof Morris for his understanding of the Scottish government's Covid strategy.

The expert tells the inquiry he believes it consisted of five points:

• suppressing the virus through compliance, such as physical distancing and hygiene measures
• caring for those who need it
• supporting people, businesses and organisations affected by the crisis
• "recover to a new normal" by carefully easing restrictions when safe to do so
• protecting against Covid and future pandemics

Prof Morris adds the development of a vaccine was a medium to long-term strategy.

Image source, Getty Images

In his role as chair of Scottish Covid Advisory Group, Prof Morris met Sir Patrick Vallance, who was then the UK government's Chief Scientific Adviser.

Prof Morris told him it was "essential that the work of the Scottish group was...completely integrated with Sage".

He says: "Although health is a devolved issue in the UK, and many scientific issues are reserved, science is global."

Prof Morris adds Sage papers were reviewed at every meeting of the Scottish group and all members of the Scottish group had access to the papers.

Prof Morris explains in the pandemic there was "unique alignment" between policy makers, academics, the NHS and the public which was essential to understand the new virus.

He adds: "The academic and scientific response was absolutely vital for the policy response."

However he concurs this response would have been better if more data had been available to researchers earlier in the global health crisis.

The next witness is Professor Andrew Morris, Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

Prof Morris currently has Covid so arrangements have been made to allow him to give his evidence remotely.

Lady Hallett says the abuse experts, including Prof Sridhar and England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Witty, have suffered is "absolutely dreadful",

And she asks why people would bother to take on these roles in future.

"I've had to put up with similar kinds of abuse and I don't know the answer," Lady Hallett adds.

"All we can hope is that people like you will continue to feel public service is worthwhile."

Claire Mitchell KC for Scottish Covid Bereaved asks Prof Sridhar how she was aware there was no-one in the UK government providing critical views.

She also points out it was probably the case other scientists were communicating with ministers down south.

Prof Sridhar explains she was quite critical of both governments.

Ms Mitchell asks what one mistake was made by the Scottish government that we could learn from and do better next time.

Prof Sridhar replies: "I think the biggest mistake was around testing."

She says there was not a testing strategy in February and March 2020 and there was not adequate PPE.

Her medical students were working on wards without appropriate protection.

Prof Sridhar concludes by offering her condolences to the bereaved.

"Would I do it again? I don't know if I would," admits Prof Sridhar.

She says the US is worse because "you're afraid of being shot, at least here you're only worried about being stabbed".

Jamie Dawson KC asks if she was offered support by the Scottish government to deal with the distressing situations she found herself in.

Prof Sridhar says she was but she didn't take it up, preferring to stick close with her family and friends.

When it gets into threats and hate speech that's when it crossed the line, she says.

Prof Sridhar adds healthy debate can often turn toxic online.

Image source, PA Media

Prof Sridhar says she went online to communicate honestly with people.

She says she knew experts were moving their families to remote areas and pulling their children out of school to protect them.

"That message was not reaching the general public," she says, adding that governments were underplaying the risks.

"I felt they deserved the same information we had and the same chances of protecting their loved ones."

Prof Sridhar says she had death threats and online abuse as she became a well-known face talking about the pandemic.

"It has been rough...racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia...I've taken it because I think the bigger idea is that we try to help each other and do good."

She says 75% of her university team are young women and they do not want to go near government service or the media.

"I've done my tour of duty," she says, "But who is going to step up next time?"

Image source, PA Media

The professor reflects that politicians could have communicated better that they needed to supress the virus until a scientific breakthrough.

She says: "I think we got there in the November when the message was 'the vaccines are coming'... but it was very difficult in that period because the messaging was 'get back to the office, get back to normality, eat out to help out'."

The UK was trying to give people a sense that the problem was over, Prof Sridhar says, "when I was trying to say the problem is coming this winter".

A winter lockdown triggered by the NHS getting overwhelmed was the real worry, she adds.