Christian Drosten: Scientists are an “imposition” on politicians

Stand: 10:27 am | Reading time: 2 minutes

IIn Christian Drosten’s view, individual freedom and community responsibility cannot be separated from each other, especially in the crown pandemic. “The more thoughtless and selfish I act, the sooner the state will have to restrict my freedom to effectively protect the community and the well-being of other people,” said the Berlin virologist, according to the manuscript of the speech in front of the Archive of German Literature in Marbach, near Ludwigsburg. This year, the virologist delivered the birthday celebration speech of the poet Friedrich Schiller, it was recorded on video.

The researcher asked if a “pandemic imperative” was needed in view of the wave of infections: “In a pandemic, always act as if you yourself have tested positive and the person opposite belongs to a risk group. People are used to linear developments and are therefore sometimes overwhelmed when the number of cases explodes.

Drosten admitted that scientific work for policy makers is a “real imposition.” While politicians want to create the longest-term framework possible, scientists also have to accept mistakes and setbacks when acquiring knowledge. “The fact that policy makers repeatedly had to improve or correct measures based on new scientific findings – just think about protecting the mouth and nose – didn’t find a positive response everywhere,” he said. .

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As a virologist and scientist, he was not a politician and, like Schiller, “he did not serve any princes,” Drosten emphasized. In the pandemic, scientists in particular are obliged to engage society as a whole and communicate responsibly.

He associates Friedrich Schiller with the fact that he also studied medicine, Drosten said. Both would have left the practice of medicine behind. “He was drawn to literature and I to medical research,” explained the virologist. But he’s pretty sure: “Friedrich Schiller would also wear a mask.”

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