Virologist Christian Drosten has received unexpected attention from the coronavirus pandemic. Now he is experiencing the flip side of this coin: he even receives death threats.
- Virologist Christian Drosten is one of Germany's most respected consultants in the corona crisis .
- But the researcher gets to feel the dark side of his fame.
- He even reports of death threats .
- Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * and the corona news from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Germany here as a map *. The following recommendations for corona protective measures * are currently available.
Berlin / Munich - Due to the corona crisis, virologist Professor Christian Drosten * of the Berlin Charité involuntarily became one of the most sought-after people in Germany, more or more overnight.
Colleagues, politicians and large sections of the population listen to his advice. His regular podcast on the corona pandemic * in collaboration with the NDR is also extremely popular in German-speaking countries. But Drosten is also increasingly experiencing the dark side of this unexpected glory.
Corona crisis: Drosten receives death threats from the population
In an interview with the British Guardian , the scientist has now said that he receives death threats for his role in the corona crisis . Drosten justifies this with the so-called "prevention paradox" : "People in Germany see that the hospitals are not overcrowded and do not understand why the shops have to close," he says.
It is currently being shown that the containment measures * are working . This would make many people complain of an alleged "overreaction" , Drosten said. "They just look at what's happening here and don't see the situation in New York or Spain, for example," he continues. "For many Germans, that's why I'm the bad guy who destroys the economy * ", Drosten told the Guardian. And that is why the virologist keeps getting death threats. He simply passes this on to the police.
Drosten: Mails in which citizens report fears about the future keep him awake at night
However, other emails would keep him awake at night, Drosten admits in an interview with the Guardian. "Worse are the emails from the people who write to me that they have three children and are afraid of the future, " says the scientist. "It is not my fault, but these are the mails that keep me awake at night."
However, death threats and news about the fear of the future of some citizens do not seem to distract Drosten from his course. The virologist further explains why the steps taken by the government measures his opinion are necessary and why Germany on the successes achieved so far, such as a decline in reproduction number * , can not rest. He emphasized this again last week in a posting on his Twitter channel.
For those who still don't believe it: # COVID19 mortality in England. We were spared this primarily through early and widespread diagnostics. Let’s not lose this lead. Let us show solidarity with our neighbors. https://t.co/azwY8NXMRZ
- Christian Drosten (@c_drosten) April 21, 2020Most recently, Drosten also warned of the impact of a possible second wave of infection * . You can find more information in the video below.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
