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Lauterbach compares colleagues with second division football teams – he reacts coolly on Twitter

2022-03-29T14:24:38.198Z


Lauterbach compares colleagues with second division football teams – he reacts coolly on Twitter Created: 03/29/2022, 16:17 By: Yasina Hipp Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. © picture alliance/dpa/Christoph Soeder They played an important role during the corona pandemic: virologists. Now Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is causing a stir with a statement about Klaus Stöhr. Berli


Lauterbach compares colleagues with second division football teams – he reacts coolly on Twitter

Created: 03/29/2022, 16:17

By: Yasina Hipp

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.

© picture alliance/dpa/Christoph Soeder

They played an important role during the corona pandemic: virologists.

Now Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is causing a stir with a statement about Klaus Stöhr.

Berlin - The professional field of virologists and epidemiologists has probably never received as much attention as in the past two years.

As a result of the corona pandemic, scientists such as Christian Drosten, Sandra Cisek and Hendrik Streeck are familiar faces to the entire German population.

SPD politician Karl Lauterbach also ranks as an expert.

Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach is a licensed doctor and has a master's degree with a focus on epidemiology and health policy.

Given the large number of scientists interviewed, quoted and questioned, Lauterbach seems to be careful to make certain distinctions.

In the

ARD program

"Konfrontation" he now makes this clear, especially with reference to Klaus Stöhr.

Epidemiologist Klaus Stoehr.

© teutopress/imago

Karl Lauterbach: "Wouldn't anyone think of saying that Stöhr is a top virologist"

Klaus Stöhr studied epidemiology and veterinary medicine at the University of Leipzig and worked for the World Health Organization (WHO) for 15 years.

During the corona pandemic, he appeared primarily as a freelance consultant in the media.

In the

ARD program

, Lauterbach says: “So, for example, in the Bild newspaper there is top virologist Stöhr and, if you like, top virologist Christian Drosten.

But in science itself, no one would think of saying that Mr. Stöhr is a top virologist and could be compared to Mr. Dorsten.”

Karl Lauterbach is right: there are even better virologists than me.

Virologist Klaus Stöhr

For Lauterbach, there are obviously clear differences between the scientists.

He justifies this with "objective criteria" that exist in science.

The SPD politician makes this clear with a comparison with football: “Of course it is the case that FC St. Pauli and FC Bayern Munich are both football teams, but you would be able to tell the difference and that’s how it is in science .” In other words: He describes the virologist Stöhr as a virologist who plays in a league with other experts such as Christian Drosten.

  • Klaus Stöhr (born 1959 in Zerbst, Saxony-Anhalt)

  • Studies: Epidemiology and Veterinary Medicine (University of Leipzig)

  • 1989 Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases of today's Friedrich Loeffler Institute in Tübingen

  • 1992-2007 worked for the WHO, including research into SARS-CoV-1

  • 2007-2015 worked in vaccine development at Novartis

Karl Lauterbach: Epidemiologist Stöhr reacts promptly on Twitter

The attacked epidemiologist Stöhrs reacted immediately on Twitter.

However, Stöhr is by no means angry or offended - the 63-year-old responds diplomatically and admits: "Karl Lauterbach is right: there are even better virologists than me." Nevertheless, one thing about Lauterbach's words bothers him: "But the statement shows the big misunderstanding , which does not only exist for him: It is not enough to explain pandemics.” Rather, it requires practical experience “in disease control, hygiene, epidemiology, infectiology, vaccinology and, if the pathogen is a virus, also in virology.” Stöhr sees the solution therefore in joint team work, because the entire knowledge would bring "only a few individual colleagues in the necessary breadth".

"A team is therefore always the best solution."

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach does not have much to reply to such a clever word.

He only writes: "In turn, Klaus Stöhr is right." This was not the first clinch between two corona experts.

Top virologist Drosten has already clashed with a colleague.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-03-29

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