Disastrous data situation: Late reckoning with the corona policy

Created: 07/01/2022Updated: 07/01/2022 19:09

By: Georg Anastasiadis

The report of the expert commission on the German corona measures, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD);

Merkur Editor-in-Chief Georg Anastasiadis.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa/Marcus sleep

A resounding slap in the face for the architects of German corona policy: To date, there are no reliable figures in Germany's data desert as to which corona measures are effective and which are not.

A commentary by Georg Anastasiadis.

Munich - Nothing Gwiß one does not know - that is, in short, the result of the 18-strong expert commission to assess the effectiveness of the corona measures taken in Germany.

The result shouldn't really surprise anyone: Because there is a lack of digitally collected facts and figures in the "data desert D", there was also no accompanying research that could have provided politicians and the RKI with effective recommendations for action.

Not even measuring the viral load in the wastewater, which is routine elsewhere, is an official standard here after two years of the pandemic.

Corona measures in Germany: fear-driven politics must no longer exist

The FDP in particular wanted to wait for the expert report before making decisions about a new Corona plan for the fall.

But after reading it, politics is as smart as ever.

Do school closures help?

Maybe a little bit.

lockdown?

Only at the beginning.

2G and 3G access restrictions?

With the current, highly contagious virus variants, the benefit is controversial.

The first phase of the corona policy was characterized by a certain amount of oversteer: rich Germany with its relatively older population could afford the strictest measures in the world.

The cautious majority got the corona policy they wanted.

But the dispute over the free, unprovoked citizen tests, which the government is now abolishing because they cost the state twelve billion euros a year, shows that fear-driven corona policies including shutting down the entire country can no longer exist because it is too expensive and - because of the good vaccination progress, the progressing basic immunization of the population due to many infections and the milder courses - is also not necessary.

Corona policy: Germany must drive on sight again

We are just learning what it feels like to live with the virus.

Personal responsibility is required: those who want to protect themselves can do so thanks to masks and vaccines.

As long as a new, more aggressive virus variant does not appear on the horizon, there is no reason for new alarmism and green pressure to legislate.

We have to drive on sight again.

A commentary by Georg Anastasiadis