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The coronavirus and its consequences are shaking Germany. The expert Christian Drosten, virologist at the Charité in Berlin, not only does research work, but also educates. What distinguishes Professor Drosten and what the expert advises, you can find out here.
Christian Drosten: A portrait of the virologist from the Charité
Christian Heinrich Maria Drosten, his full name, is a German virologist specialising in emerging viruses. He is one of the experts advising the German government when it comes to the coronavirus.
- The virologist, born in 1972, was born and raised in Emsland.
- He first studied chemical engineering and biology in Dortmund and Münster, but after two years he switched to the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main and studied human medicine.
- After passing the third state examination in 2000, he completed his doctorate at the Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology of the DRK Blood Donation Service Hesse. His doctoral thesis was awarded summa cum laude.
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Drosten first worked at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg. In 2003, the virologist gained particular fame for being one of the co-discoverers of the SARS-associated coronavirus and developing a rapid test.
- For the discovery of the SARS coronavirus, he received, together with Stephan Günther, the Werner Otto Foundation Prize for the Promotion of Medical Research at the end of 2003.
- 2004 further honours followed, including the Postdoctoral Prize for Virology from the Robert Koch Foundation.
- The following year Drosten also received the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon.
- From 2007 he headed the Institute of Virology at the University Hospital in Bonn and since 2017 he has headed the Institute of Virology at the Charité in Berlin.
- He lives in Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin with his wife and son, who was born in 2017.
- Professor Drosten on Twitter
- If you want to contact Christian Drosten, here is all the info.
- Curious: virologist Drosten gets hate mail
Media star Drosten: Enlightened and expert
What is particularly characteristic of Christian Drosten is not only his professional knowledge, expertise and advice, but his public work. Through his public enlightenment, he has become a media star.
- Regularly he expresses himself in professional journals, such as Eurosurveillance. Current results are also published on the website of the Institute of Virology.
- Frequently appeared as a guest on television programmes and talk shows, such as Maybrit Illner, at the beginning of the pandemic. He was thus not only available to answer questions, but also took part in debates and discussions. This type of engagement, however, decreased significantly with the duration of the pandemic.
- On the NDR radio podcast “Coronavirus Update”, he spoke daily and gave his current assessment of the current situation.
- In addition to the Corona warning app, Drosten also campaigned for contact diaries.
- 18 August 2021: Drosten clears the air on herd immunity: “If you don’t vaccinate, you get infected “
- 15 September 2021: The Corona pandemic is turning into an endemic, as Drosten explains in the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT. According to Drosten, some countries could already manage to enter the endemic phase this autumn and winter – “Great Britain is probably one of them, Germany as of today rather not. “
- 12 November 2021: Virologist Klaus Stöhr has criticised Drosten’s warning of a “social emergency” and “up to 100,000 Corona deaths again”. “I cannot understand Drosten’s warning. There are no facts and figures that even come close to proving it,” said Stöhr in the podcast “Die Wochentester” of “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” and “RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland” in conversation with Wolfgang Bosbach and guest host Hans-Ulrich Jörges.
- 11 December 2021: According to a report in the “Welt am Sonntag”, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s new Corona Expert Council will include virologists Christian Drosten and Hendrik Streeck.
