Berlin Buyers Club and Long Covid Patients Protest Against the End of Critical Public Health Project
Berlin, November 8, 2024 — Today, in front of the German Ministry of Health, Berlin Buyers Club, an art-activist collective, joined forces with a group of Long Covid sufferers to protest the planned cessation of the AMELAG project. This project, which provides nationwide monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in wastewater, is crucial for tracking COVID-19 infection trends across Germany. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach recently announced his intention to stop federal funding for AMELAG, potentially forcing local municipalities to bear the cost of monitoring alone.
With the project scheduled to end in December 2024, protesters warned of the consequences. The data is essential for vulnerable individuals to make informed choices, such as knowing when it’s safe to attend medical appointments where mask-wearing is impossible, like at the dentist. AMELAG is currently the only tool that provides standardised and comparable infection data across Germany; solely relying on regional data would lead to inconsistencies and varying data quality. The project’s future is uncertain, as no funding mechanisms have been set up for continued regional monitoring, and without federal support, its operation remains precarious.
Since taking office, Minister Lauterbach has rolled back numerous pandemic-related safety measures, including PCR testing, quarantine mandates, and mask requirements. Wastewater monitoring is one of the few remaining tools proving the pandemic is far from over. As one activist noted, “Poop doesn’t lie: The AMELAG data clearly shows that COVID-19 is still present, even if public policies suggest otherwise. Rising sick leave rates align with infection trends in the wastewater data, and it’s time policymakers recognised this.”
The protest featured participants standing in neon-coloured rope circles on the sidewalk, visually representing their isolation and helplessness due to the potential loss of essential data. Holding black signs with the message “Error 404: Wastewater data not found,” protestors highlighted the sense of vulnerability that could worsen without access to information.
Activists read aloud testimonies from individuals who were too severely affected by Long Covid to attend in person. They shared how they rely on AMELAG data to protect their health and navigate everyday life. The event’s organiser, the founder of the Berlin Buyers Club, recounted her extensive outreach efforts to each member of the Federal Health Committee to emphasise the importance of wastewater monitoring for public health, especially for the most vulnerable.
Minister Lauterbach was invited to witness the demonstration firsthand, but he informed organisers that he had prior commitments.
As the protest drew to a close, Berlin Buyers Club reiterated their message: “COVID-19 is not over, and we need tools like AMELAG to manage it. Wastewater data isn’t just numbers—it’s a lifeline. Dismissing it would be a grave disservice to everyone still grappling with the impact of this virus.”
