About us
We want our lives back
We, the founders of this initiative, are a group of people who want to challenge the helplessness and ignorance of the policymakers.
We feel we have a responsibility for the present and for the future. COVID-19 is changing our world, and the life of every one of us. Most people simply want “their lives back”.
COVID-19 has not left a single aspect of our lives untouched. Normal daily activities like going to the movies with friends, taking with our kids to the playground, or having Sunday lunch with nana and grandad and the whole family were suddenly no longer possible, as lockdowns were put in place. While since then some of these activities are allowed again, many restrictions still apply, and the uncomfortable feeling has not gone. We are all scared that the modest freedoms we had been longing for will be cut again as soon as the number of infections begins to rise again.
We do not want a second lockdown, and we want the consequences of the recession that results from the first one to remain manageable. That can only happen if we stay alert and agile, despite the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, we need a robust early warning system, with which we can quickly identify new flare-ups of the infection, and rapidly constrain further spreading of the virus.
There is a well-known, proven approach in science that can be the basis of such an early warning system: representative, randomized testing on all people – the sick, the healthy, the immune, superspreaders and anyone around emerging hotspots.
COVID-19 matters to all of us – in the industrialized world, in the growth countries and in the developing countries. Our economies are so intertwined that we can only find a way out of the crisis with an effective instrument that we all use.
We want to convince the policymakers
The goal of our initiative is to persuade the policymakers of the profound need for such a testing regime.
The voices of experts from science and business, and indeed the voices of all citizens, provide support to the people who are close to decision-makers, to pursue this demand. We want to create the political pressure with which the first step in this direction can be made, to ensure that we can find a way out of the COVID-19 crisis thanks to representative, randomized testing.
We are independent
Our initiative is supported by the founders through financial contributions and voluntary effort. The people who are giving their support to the initiative have no material interest in the implementation of a broad testing regime. Our engagement to advocate a representative, randomized testing approach stems from our desire to regain normality for ourselves and for future generations.
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«Without comprehensive testing and contact tracing, governments risk a dramatic rise in both human and economic costs.»
Klaus Wertenbroch
Novartis Chaired Professor of Management and Environment, Professor of Marketing INSEAD, Singapore -
«Knowledge is key to combat COVID-19. »
Astrid Furrer
Member of the Zurich Cantonal Council -
«In the absence of randomized testing we lack reliable data which is necessary to take appropriate actions that minimize the burden of the pandemic. »
Ernst Fehr
Professor of Economics, Director of the UBS Center for Economics in Society -
«We need to balance economic concerns and health issues. »
Andreas Herrmann
Professor of Business at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Director of the Institute for Customer Insight (ICI-HSG) -
«I can’t believe we’re on track and I do not want to return to the future but the new normal.»
Antje Kanngiesser
Senior Executive Leader for Transformation in Infrastructure & Energy | C-Level and Board Member at BKW AG -
«We need data, otherwise we are navigating with a blindfold.»
Koen Smets
Organization Development Professional, Adj. Asst. Prof. at Saint Louis University, Senior Advisor BVA Nudge Unit -
«We are responsible for each other and that comprises getting tested. »
Rotraud A. Perner
Prof. emeritus for Health Prevention -
«Widespread testing, contact tracing, and scientific understanding are essential in managing the pandemic before a vaccine is available. »
Peter Cramton
Professor of Economics at the University of Cologne and the University of Maryland, Director on the Board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas -
«Most of worldwide testing is not randomized. If we test in random samples, we will have much more valuable knowledge to fight this pandemic.»
Christoph Hofinger
Managing Partner and Scientific Director at SORA Institute for Social Research and Consulting -
«We need reliable data about the true infection rate to take appropriate actions that minimize the overall burden of the pandemic »
Nina Mazar
Professor of Marketing and Co-Director Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy -
«I want the world to move forward and soon.»
Dan Ariely
Professor of Behavioral Economics and Psychology at Duke University -
«We need more evidence to support our decision making, if we want to build a better future!»
Alexis Johann
Managing Partner at FehrAdvice & Partners AG
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