Prominent German virologists forced to excuse, “talkative” Merkel even threatened with death

That in a pandemic caused by a new virus, politicians seek the advice of virologists, more than understandable. Unfortunately, they also have no clear answer. The positions of virologists on COVID-19 often conflict. There is a veritable cacophony of the voices of virologists, epidemiologists, infectious diseases, pathologists in public space, which cannot be harmonized by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which coordinates scientific information on the virus.

In mid-April, the institute itself became the target of criticism. Several prominent pathologists, supported by the German Union of Pathologists, have publicly criticized the RKI for insisting on not educating the victims of COVID-19. But the autopsy data is simply necessary to better understand the virus, to understand the effects it has on human organs. Also, as the autopsies revealed, all the people attributed to the virus died from diseases they already had, the virus only helped mark a point in their medical history.

During the long weeks of hard work, the country’s virologists have repeatedly had to correct their claims about the coronavirus, and fortunately, life practices have not confirmed their threatening predictions of a large number of diseases and serious deaths based on mathematical models.

Germany’s most famous virologist: “Mistake is scientific”

Christian Drosten, an absolute coronavirus expert and director of the Virology Institute of the Charité Clinics in Berlin, has brought the country to life since the start of the pandemic. He has been studying SARS viruses, including the coronavirus, for 17 years, he was one of the scientists who discovered the cause of SARS and developed a test to detect them.

Back in 2017 Ch. Drosten prophetically warned: “We are at increased risk from viruses that come from the animal world and enter the body through the airways. Coronaviruses are just that. Increased global mobility is conducive to the rapid spread of these viruses. “

Professor ch. Drosten, a media-certified virologist pope, regularly informs the public about the coronavirus in the Coronavirus-Update mit Drosten, one of the most-watched webcasts in the country (the government recently awarded € 50,000 to the 48-year-old scientist for this project. communication). bond).

However, the webcast is treacherous: it reveals how the scientist’s experience, his advice to residents and politicians, has fluctuated and changed significantly. Suppose February 27. he calmed down that there was no reason to panic, there would be no need to close the house. And now he is arresting politicians in a hurry to ease quarantine restrictions. March 6 He said that closing schools too soon might have to be done in the fall, and ten days later, he had already approved closing schools.

“It is scientific to make a mistake,” chap. Drostenas Researchers can make mistakes, and in these exceptional times, science should openly name its own unreliability and insecurity, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung summed up the researcher’s point of view.

Three virologists – three opinions

The other two most prominent German virologists are currently Professor Alexander Kekulé (61) from the Halle University Clinic and Professor Hendrik Streeck (42) from Ch. Drosten took over the management of the Institute of Virology at the University of Bonn.

A. Kekulė’s range of discourses on the dangers of the coronavirus is extremely wide. At the start of the pandemic, it demanded the strictest possible government restrictions and threatened that an “unidentified but infected by coronavirus child would infect some 3,000 people in eight weeks,” of whom “about 15 would die.”

And now A. Kekulé is increasingly opposed to Ch. Drostenui Along with five other authors, scientists and politicians, he asked Der Spiegel for a speech to free society and the economy from stagnation, and recalled that up to 25,000 people die each year. in Germany because of the flu.

“Epidemiologically, it makes sense to protect younger people less than older people,” he said on Wednesday in the Menschen bei Maischberger television program, calling for a return to a normal life: “Yes, there will be deaths.” However, as a society, we have accepted the risk of being driven into traffic. “

Professor H. Streeck, famous for his study of coronaviruses in the Hainsberg district (this area of ​​North Rhine-Westphalia became a hotbed for coronaviruses at the start of the pandemic), was the first to speak of low mortality (0 , 37%). In his speeches, he spread optimism and called for a faster reduction of severe restrictions. Due to its pleasant appearance and positive predictions, the tabloid “Bild” even called H. Streeck a “sunny boy among virologists”, in contrast to the “head of country warning” Ch. Drostenui

H. Streeck does not believe that in 2020. In Germany, the death toll would be higher than in previous years. And predictions based on mathematical models do not convince him: “We talk a lot about riddles and mathematical models. But it is enough that a calculation factor is wrong and everything will collapse like a house of cards, “he said.

All that is clear is that nothing is clear

Armin Laschett (CDU), the prime minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, the largest federal state, could not bear it: “His opinions change every few days! It just annoys the population, “Anne Will said on Sunday’s television show.

Only two things are clear about the coronavirus crisis, “summarized Julian Reichelt, editor-in-chief of BILD:

“First, we will only know from the history books whether the steps taken are correct or not. It is still not entirely clear whether we will see the coronary crisis as a health catastrophe or as the collapse of our economy. It is possible, but not certain, that what the vast majority considers correct is true. There is no collective immunity against catastrophic mistakes made in history.

Second, almost all of the experts we trusted in this crisis (we were forced to do so) evaluated the petitioner so catastrophically on almost every issue that our faith in them could only be explained in despair.

They mocked with facial masks. Now it has become a must. They warned against schools and kindergartens closing. Millions of children now sit at home for weeks. They felt that there was no point in closing the country’s borders. Now nobody comes to the country anymore. Despite all the measures that have been taken, they have continued to talk about the impending collapse of our health system. Now there is a ghostly silence and fear of unemployment in the corridors of the hospital.

The chancellor visited the scientists.

Recently, the demand for economists, sociologists, politicians, not to mention representatives of the economy, to listen not only to virologists, but also to other experts, has become increasingly popular in the country’s public space. North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Armin Laschet is jokingly concerned about the consequences of severe life restrictions on the economy of his country and Germany in general.

Professor ch. Drosten, whose authority is primarily based on Chancellor Angela Merkel, an advocate of rigorous course and utmost caution, agrees that scientists in other fields should also be listened to. However, he pointed out to impatient economic representatives that there could be no negotiations on the progress of the pandemic. “If you have to negotiate, it is with nature, not with virologists,” he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

On Thursday, virologists Merkel also visited the press conference, thanking them: “I am pleased that Germany has excellent scientists in epidemiology and virology whose views we can hear.” to oppose others. It would be much worse if scientists did not publish what they know, “he said.

A disastrous impression, as if the country was led by virologists.

Virologists have been working hard since the start of the pandemic, saving neither time nor health. Originally praised as new heroes, they are now increasingly criticized.

Dominant media virologist Ch. Drosten, already known in the press as the “chancellor’s spokesman,” has even been threatened with death. “Just take a look at social media to see how blind hatred of this person is directed,” has become a bad guy for many, hurting the economy, Focus.de wrote a few days ago.

The scientist admits that more than threats he is overwhelmed by the emails he receives from people who write that here, they have three children and hugging them is uncertain about the future. “It is not my fault, but those letters do not allow me to fall asleep at night,” ch. Drostenas

And in general: a disastrous impression was created, as if the country was not run by politicians, but by virologists and epidemiologists. But this is not the case, said Reiner Haseloff, Prime Minister of the Land of Anhalt Saxony. They only provide a diagnosis of the situation and make political decisions for politicians, he told Cicero magazine.

Recently, in addition to visrusologists and epidemiologists, the arguments of economists, sociologists, lawyers and psychologists have been heard in the country, revealing the full range of complex problems related to the coronavirus pandemic. Only a wide and open scientific discussion will help to weigh the risks and negative impacts of COVID-19 on the economy, culture, education, mental health of families and individuals in the country, and to find the optimal solution.