Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (59, SPD) of all people spread corona panic because of a breakdown …
Lauterbach claimed in an interview with the “ Rheinische Post“, that after several infections with the corona virus, people allegedly often suffer from an “immune deficiency that can no longer be cured”.
This is terrible news for those affected. Because according to the minister, the risk of chronic diseases from cardiovascular problems to dementia increases with the immune deficiency.
Virologists criticized Lauterbach for the statement.
“What reliable data is there to make this statement?” Asked Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit (43) from the University of Hamburg. Klaus Stöhr (63) accused him of scaremongering: “Mr. Karl Lauterbach: Again, many people are afraid of illnesses that could occur in very few.”
Lauterbach rows back
Several media had die claim von of the incurable immune deficiency. But the sentence is wrong – and Lauterbach never claims to have said it that way!
︎ After the virologist criticism, Lauterbach clarified Sunday evening on Twitter: “There is currently no question of an incurable immune deficiency.”
Instead, the minister wanted to be quoted with this sentence: “Studies now show very clearly that those affected are often dealing with an immune deficiency, the duration of which we do not yet know.”
But how did the false statement get into the interview?
According to Lauterbach, there was a “technical transmission error” in the Ministry of Health when the text was released. Because in Germany it is common for politicians to be able to check and change their statements before publishing an interview.
According to the “Rheinische Post”, the minister’s description agrees Corona-blooper. The newspaper has Karl Lauterbachs answer in the interview has meanwhile changed.
