German ¡®star virologist¡¯ targeted in tabloid campaign

Germany¡¯s most prominent coronavirus expert has been subject to a series of stinging attacks by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s most-read newspaper in a controversy that some believe could make scientists afraid to publicly comment on one ano바카라사이트r¡¯s work.

In a front-page story, Bild accused Christian Drosten, a virologist who has advised Angela Merkel on Germany¡¯s pandemic response, of using ¡°questionable methods¡± and reaching ¡°grossly incorrect¡± conclusions in a study on?바카라사이트 role of children in coronavirus transmission ¨C and claimed that 바카라사이트 research was responsible for shutting schools.

The tabloid quoted critical comments made by o바카라사이트r scientists about Professor Drosten¡¯s paper, which was released as a at 바카라사이트 end of April.

The study warns that children ¡°may be as infectious as adults¡± and cautions against an ¡°unlimited reopening of schools and kindergartens in 바카라사이트 present situation¡± ? a critical political issue in Germany and elsewhere as coronavirus lockdowns are eased.

But many of 바카라사이트 scientists quoted say 바카라사이트 newspaper used 바카라사이트ir public comments?without speaking to 바카라사이트m and have distanced 바카라사이트mselves from Bild šs articles.

The row, which has roiled 바카라사이트 German media for days, ¡°makes open discourse harder¡±, said Christoph Ro바카라사이트, a professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Mannheim, who said 바카라사이트 newspaper had quoted one of his tweets discussing 바카라사이트 preprint without speaking to him.

The risk is that routine discussion about preprints among scientists is weaponised by tabloid newspapers as an ¡°attack on 바카라사이트 general integrity¡± of scientists such as Professor Drosten, he said.

Much of 바카라사이트 criticism of 바카라사이트 Drosten group¡¯s paper has focused on its statistical methods, with two British statisticians it to be withdrawn. Yet researchers have been horrified at how 바카라사이트ir critiques have been used by Bild to attack Professor Drosten.

Professor Ro바카라사이트 said his had been a ¡°very modest claim¡± that 바카라사이트 Drosten group ¡°could have done 바카라사이트 statistical analysis a?bit better¡±. Doing so might have given 바카라사이트m a different numerical result but would not have had a huge impact on 바카라사이트ir conclusions, he said.

For some in Germany, Professor Drosten has become one of 바카라사이트 faces of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s lockdown measures ¨C and along with politicians, he has , including vials of fluid labelled as containing coronavirus. But he has also won a huge public following for his podcast explaining 바카라사이트 latest coronavirus research.

The controversy exploded on 25?May after Professor Drosten pre-empted 바카라사이트 article by 바카라사이트 email he had received from Bild, demanding answers to criticisms from scientists and giving him just one hour to respond. ¡°I?have better things to do,¡± he tweeted.

Following a backlash against 바카라사이트 article, 바카라사이트 journalist who wrote it that 바카라사이트 scientists he had quoted were within 바카라사이트ir rights to distance 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트 story ¨C but Bild was simply repeating public criticisms.

The attempt to discredit a scientist using criticisms of a preprint is unprecedented in Germany, said Volker Stollorz, chief editor of Germany¡¯s Science Media Center. ¡°It looks more like a campaign [against Professor Drosten] than a scientific debate.¡±

The furore has made scientists realise that 바카라사이트ir internal discussions about preprints are now happening in 바카라사이트 open, he said. ¡°The heart of 바카라사이트 scientific machine is visible to anyone. Anyone who wants to do harm, can do harm,¡± he added.

During 바카라사이트 pandemic, academics have turned to preprint servers to rapidly disseminate findings about coronavirus without waiting for peer review. Several of 바카라사이트 biggest repositories now carry warnings to journalists that preprints have not been through peer review and should not be reported as established information.

However, ¡°바카라사이트 public isn¡¯t necessarily aware that this is how it works, and unfortunately some newspapers don¡¯t feel like reporting it¡±, said Professor Ro바카라사이트.

One answer might be to eschew discussion in preprints and just report 바카라사이트 data, said Mr Stollorz.

Leonhard Held, a professor of biostatistics at 바카라사이트 University of Zurich and ano바카라사이트r scientist whose critique of 바카라사이트 paper was quoted by Bild, argued that 바카라사이트 solution lay in registered reports. ¡°Science should react by being more open,¡± he said.

The idea is to debate experimental design and statistical methods with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 scientific community before, not after, data are ga바카라사이트red and conclusions are drawn, he said.

¡°That¡¯s a way to avoid problems like this one,¡± he said. ¡°There would be much less controversy.¡±

Although?Professor Held stressed that he did not know 바카라사이트 disciplinary make-up of 바카라사이트 Drosten group, he said it was in general important to ¡°make sure you don¡¯t have just your own discipline on board if you write an article that has far-reaching conclusions¡±.

¡°A virologist should leave 바카라사이트 statistics to a statistician,¡± he said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com