Following the conference of the German Chancellor, Prime Ministers of the Federal Republic of Germany on 14 October 2020, a group of health and political scientists, physicians, lawyers of a nursing manager - which also includes Philip Manow from CRC 1342 - published an ad-hoc statement. The group speaks of "worrying undesirable developments" and calls for the correct collection and interpretation of data on COVID-19 infections, more specific measures to protect risk groups and modern risk communication instead of the threat of a renewed lockdown.
The group criticises the fact that the rate of infection is only observed by means of cause-related coronate tests, i.e. within a non-representative sample. However, no valid conclusions could be drawn from this about the incidence of infection in the population as a whole. This would require large-scale tests in a representative sample (cohort studies). Due to this uncertain data situation, there is a lack of reliable values for controlling prevention measures and thus the pandemic.
In the authors' view, general prevention measures and the tracking of infections are important, but ultimately successful prevention can only be achieved through target-group-oriented measures. The protection of "vulnerable groups of people" must therefore have top priority.
Ad-hoc-Stellungnahme: Die Pandemie durch SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 - Gleichgewicht und Augenmaß behalten
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Philip Manow