"Virological tunnel vision": epidemiologist criticizes the German corona strategy

Created: 05/12/2022, 12:04 p.m

By: Janine Napirca

How successfully has Germany really gotten through the corona pandemic and what should be done better in future pandemics?

Munich – After two years, which were shaped by the corona virus and the associated measures such as lockdowns, one is faced with the question: how well did we really get through the corona pandemic?

Which mistakes should be avoided in future, comparable scenarios?

And what effects will be with us for quite a while?

In an interview with

, the doctor and epidemiologist Martin Sprenger criticizes the corona crisis management in Germany and Austria.

In 2020 he was a member of the Corona Task Force of the Ministry of Health in Austria.

In his book "Corona - The Riddle Solution?" Sprenger analyzes political decisions and the strict measures compared to Scandinavia.

Virological tunnel vision: Should we have looked at the corona pandemic more from society as a whole?

The epidemiologist criticizes “that the medical-virological tunnel vision has given us many blind spots, many undesirable side effects” and that we should have focused more on other factors.

Many health and psychosocial effects have been ignored in favor of the virological approach, although social and health scientists have pointed out these consequences from the start.

Instead of taking the concerns seriously, however, they were often "defamed and discredited as critics of the measures," said Sprenger.

Corona: Were school closures a mistake?

For example, the long school closures in Germany were a mistake.

In an interview, the epidemiologist explains: "The fact that in Austria and Germany, for example, it was not recognized early on that it makes no sense to close schools is a sign of poverty." By comparison: In the Scandinavian countries, the schools are, if at all, only been closed for a short time.

Corona measures: What long-term effects do they have on children and young people?

In the interview, Sprenger speaks of serious consequences that can have a lasting effect on children and young people.

Due to the measures taken to contain the corona pandemic, some under-20s would probably have to struggle with problems.

If every hundredth under-20-year-old develops addiction problems, educational deficits, psychological or other problems, becomes overweight, then that is an enormous number of healthy years of life that are lost.

Martin Sprenger, doctor and epidemiologist

He anticipates dramatic consequences for children and young people: "If just one in every hundred under-20s develops addiction problems, educational deficits, psychological or other problems and becomes overweight, then that is an enormous number of healthy years of life that are lost."

The corona measures have serious consequences, especially for children and young people, such as obesity.

(Iconic image) © Moodboard/Imago

Corona pandemic: Sprenger criticizes "black and white" thinking

In both Austria and Germany, the corona pandemic was politicized very early on and was misused by parties for their own purposes.

Sprenger speaks of "black and white" thinking and that the guilty were always sought.

“Sometimes it was young people, foreigners or the EU, then a pharmaceutical company and finally the unvaccinated.

We have remained in the polarizing view to this day.”

Sometimes it was young people, foreigners or the EU, then a pharmaceutical company and finally the unvaccinated.

We have remained in the polarizing view to this day.

Martin Sprenger, doctor and epidemiologist

In Scandinavia, no terms such as corona deniers, lateral thinkers or conspiracy theorists were used.

The epidemiologist explains that one should not simply denigrate population groups, scientific voices or critical journalists in general.

Corona: These mistakes should be avoided in future pandemics

Rather, the epidemiologist suggests learning from the corona pandemic and dealing with comparable scenarios more confidently in the future.

It needs a reasonable handling of infectious diseases.

For example, the situations in waiting rooms and outpatient clinics should be maintained so that in future the sick will no longer remain close to risk patients in an unventilated room.

In his view, it should be a matter of course not to go to work when you are sick.

The same applies to sick children who should not go to kindergarten or school.

However, this does not mean that “healthy children should be picked in the nose every day with a cotton swab”.