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Virologist Hendrik Streeck defends himself against allegations he had the so-called Heinsberg study marketed to the health committee of the NRW state parliament. He could no longer bear the great attention and needed someone to look over his shoulder at him, he says.
Bonn virologist Hendrik Streeck has strongly rejected allegations that he had his study of the crown infection process marketed in the Heinsberg district. “It wasn’t marketing,” Streeck said Wednesday on the state health committee.
“Personally, I was surprised to see it that way.” He had created a studio “in record time”, and then it was no longer the studio, but he was supposed to be concerned about loosening the crown’s restrictions. Streeck said he was in a situation where “an incredible number of people” were interested in the spread of the coronavirus. He no longer knew how to handle all emails and was therefore grateful that someone “looked over his shoulder”. Today he knew: “He got stupid.” He also had “sleepless nights”.
State government under pressure
Public relations work for the Heinsberg studio of the Berlin agency Storymachine had drawn criticism. The study was commissioned by the NRW state government. A research team led by Streeck surveyed 919 residents in 405 households in Gangelt on the Dutch border and conducted crown tests. After a carnival session in mid-February, many local citizens became infected with the new virus. Therefore, the community is considered the epicenter of the virus in NRW. However, the situation is only partially comparable with other regions of Germany.
Armin Laschet, prime minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, could face greater difficulties than Streeck. The magazine “Contrasts” had reported that the state government had been informed of the public relations activities of the Storymachine company since early April, contrary to what they had previously said. It is based on a response from the state government to an SPD request. This indicates that the state government was in the picture in the “launch of the corresponding Facebook page”, as well as the public.
