Research on coronavirus

Reasearchers at the University of Konstanz actively contribute to the effort to manage the coronavirus situation using their research. Research projects support politicians, society and healthcare institutions at many levels to manage the current crisis.

Support in the medical field

Konstanz researchers assist medical laboratories with coronavirus diagnostics, working closely with the municipality of Konstanz, and provide IT tools that aid with better planning of critical care bed capacities.

Current projects:

• Dr Thomas Böttcher: Development of inhibitors for the proteases of the coronavirus (further information will follow)
• Professor Christof Hauck, Professor Marcus Groettrup and Professor Thomas Mayer: Support for medical laboratories in the field of coronavirus diagnostics and Neuartiges Covid-19-Schnelltestverfahren auf Basis innovativer DNA-Polymerasen entwickelt
• Professor Daniel Keim: Visualization tool for critical care bed capacities across Germany
• Prof. Dr. Marcel Leist: How NAM can speed up COVID-19 drug discovery

Scientific studies on the coronavirus situation

Scientific studies completed by Konstanz researchers provide the factual basis for decision-makers to correctly assess and respond to the coronavirus situation.

Current studies:

• Professor Claudia Diehl, Dr Christian Hunkler: Vaccination-related attitudes and behavior across birth cohorts: Evidence from Germany
• Junior professor Steffen Eckhard: Study on the perception of crisis management in politics and administration during the coronavirus pandemic
• Junior professor Steffen Eckhard: Kritik am Föderalismus nimmt ab (in German)
• Professor Axinja Hachfeld: Survey of parents and teachers about the school closure
• Professor Thomas Hinz: Additional survey in the context of the “Konstanzer Bürgerbefragung” on the situation of residents in Konstanz during the coronavirus pandemic
• Professor Anke Hoeffler: International study “Life with Corona”
• Professor Sebastian Koos und Professor Dirk Leuffen: European solidarity in the coronavirus pandemic depends on circumstances
• Professor Florian Kunze: Study on the effects of remote work
• Professor Daniela Mier: Joint statewide online survey on the physical and psychological effects of the coronavirus pandemic conducted by the University of Konstanz, the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
• Professor Britta Renner, Professor Harald Schupp, Professor Daniel Keim: EUCLID study on the public’s perception of the coronavirus situation
• Professor Kerstin Schmelz, Professor Samuel Bowles: Opposition to voluntary and mandated COVID-19 vaccination as a dynamic process: Evidence and policy implications of changing beliefs
• Professor Martin Wikelski: How the coronavirus measures impact wildlife
• Professor Petra Wirtz: Study on stress in the coronavirus situation

A large-scale survey programme run by the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality” examines the relationship between inequality and the coronavirus situation. The results will be published in a series of policy papers.

COVID-19 and social inequality - survey programme

A large-scale survey programme run by the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality” examines the relationship between inequality and the coronavirus situation.

The results will be published in a series of policy papers and further publications:

• Professor Claudia Diehl, Dr Felix Wolter: End the lockdown? Why restrictions are being lifted too fast for some and not fast enough for others
• Professor Marius Busemeyer: "Corona-Pandemie: Wer misstraut dem Gesundheitssystem und der Regierung?" (in German)
• Professor Marius R. Busemeyer, Professor Claudia Diehl, Dr Thomas Wöhler, Dr Ariane Bertogg, Professor Susanne Strauß, Adjunct Professor Nevena Kulić und Dr Felix Wolter: Vertrauen. Impfzugang. Unzufriedenheit. Radikalisierung. Wo die Coronakrise die Gesellschaft ungleicher macht.
• Professor Florian Kunze, Kilian Hampel, Sophia Zimmermann: Working from home during the coronavirus crisis – Towards a transformation of work environments?
• Professor Florian Kunze, Sophia Zimmermann: After six months working from home: How staff members assess the situation
• Professor Dirk Leuffen, Junior professor Sebastian Koos: Beds or bonds? Conditional solidarity in the coronavirus crisis
• Dr Katrin Schmelz: Enforcement may crowd out voluntary support for COVID-19 policies, especially where trust in government is weak and in a liberal society
• Dr Katrin Schmelz, Dr David Dohmen: Digital solutions in the pandemic: How important is data protection?
• Dr. Ariane Bertogg, Professor Marius R. Busemeyer, Professor Claudia Diehl, Dr Nevena Kulić, Professor Susanne Strauß, Dr Thomas Wöhler, Dr Felix Wolter: The Pandemic Affects Everyone - But Not Equally

Planned policy paper:

• How does the population view state coronavirus aid for companies? 
  Are they seen as reasonable and fair - and what role do the costs play? (in German)
  Junior Professor Luna Bellani

Research expertise and advice

Konstanz researchers support politicians and the public with their research expertise in relevant areas of the coronavirus situation. In a series of interviews, researchers from different departments at the University of Konstanz and the Konstanz Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality” comment on current issues in conjunction with the proliferation of the coronavirus.

Interviews with researchers:

• Professor Marius Busemeyer: Inequality and the coronavirus
• Professor Andreas Jungherr: Disinformation, misinformation and conspiracy theories in conjunction with COVID-19
• Professor Axinja Hachfeld: School closings and home lessons
• Professor Boris Holzer, Ph.D.: Social consequences of the coronavirus
• Professor Dirk Leuffen: Coronavirus and the European Union
• Professor Ines Mergel: Digitalization of public administration in the coronavirus situation (in German)