About the committee

Respiratory diseases, such as the symptomatic COVID-19 disease, have not been recorded to an extraordinary extent in Germany. A large number of studies have now shown that lethality and mortality are similar to influenza. An overload of the health care system has not even remotely occurred.

However, as is becoming increasingly clear, the government’s Corona measures have caused massive social, psychological, health, cultural and economic collateral damage. This is especially true of the lockdowns that have been imposed. Effects of these measures: Millions of additional unemployed and short-time workers, companies in bankruptcy, excess mortality among the isolated elderly, inadequate health care for the population due to a large number of postponed surgeries and doctor’s visits omitted out of fear, increased suicides, large increases in child abuse, traumatization and “new” fearful social behavior among people. Many fundamental rights were and continue to be restricted on the basis of hastily forced legal changes. The new applicable law empowers federal and state governments to restrict civil rights as needed even after this pandemic has ended, and democratic processes have been shortened and suspended (e.g., postponed elections). Our liberal democratic structures have been altered. Democracy has thus suffered great damage. Many people felt and still feel the measures to be degrading and incapacitating.

It is now necessary to carry out an objective and unsparing analysis of the overall situation, including the crisis management of the federal and state governments, in order to be as well prepared as possible for future pandemics in the sense of structured pandemic preparedness. This also includes a balance sheet or interim balance sheet of the damage that has occurred, which must be attributed to the virus or the prescribed measures in each case.

Time is of the essence because it is possible at any time that a virus event and/or suboptimal crisis management could lead to
potentially avoidable damage and casualties.

It is simply not acceptable to wait for the establishment of a parliamentary committee of inquiry, which, as experience has shown, has a longer lead time. Therefore, since mid-July 2020, the Corona Committee has heard experts and witnesses in weekly meetings on a wide range of issues concerning the virus, crisis management and consequences. In particular, the collateral damage of the lockdown, which has been little evaluated to date, has been examined in greater detail.

The sessions are led by lawyers experienced in litigation. They are streamed live and remain available as a recording. Citizens can participate in the discussion by contributing via chat and email. The results of the committee’s work through August 23, 2020, are summarized in an interim report. Additional meetings will follow. A comprehensive final report with transcribed passages from the meetings and a rich collection of evidence is in progress.

All individuals involved are committed to the principles of scientific evidence and are willing to engage in factual discussion on the various topics without personal, scientific, or economic conflicts of interest.