He was assigned a police surveillance: the infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti, director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the San Martino hospital in Genoa, has been attacked for months and threatened with death on social media. On Facebook he shared screenshots of some of the messages he received. “We are all exhausted and tried by this pandemic and by the events of recent days, but intolerance, expressed with death threats and all kinds of violent epithets, towards those who think differently or try to make their own scientific contribution”, he commented , “It cannot be tolerated or justified.”
In recent weeks, I am witnessing an exponential increase in insults and death threats against me (I have …
Posted by Matteo Bassetti on Saturday, June 12, 2021
The insults were also directed at his family, his children.
“Yes, and that’s one of the things they do worse. It is a paradox: a person who has been on the ward every morning for a year and a half, to treat everyone without sparing himself and without distinction, finds himself in this condition because of petty jackals who think they are getting something. The largest vaccination campaign in modern history has started, and whoever disagrees should face it. This is the only way out of the pandemic ».
Do you think any of these keyboard lions can really take action?
«I can’t tell you, but in one evening 1500 messages arrived on my page from an organized group, symbolized by a red w. It suggests a subversive group. And it’s not a good thing. “
Those who insult her do not seem particularly educated or informed.
“The truth is that science must be opposed to ignorance. Among those who attack me there are people who quote wrongly even the articles of the Constitution: we realize that the no vax movement is made by ignorant people. The problem is that, among them, there are also colleagues, who should be expelled from the Medical Association. Those who use social media to do harm must be punished: the judiciary must intervene with exemplary sanctions “.
Have you reported every attack?
“Yup. And I don’t even flinch when faced with excuses. Those who choose to do things of this type must know that I go to the bottom, that they will pay both from a criminal and civil point of view. And then I’ll donate everything to charity. If someone “joked”, know that here, on the other hand, they are not joking ».
Why all this fury precisely towards him? Perhaps for the media presence?
«I believe more for the absence of others. Institutions. People are not angry with the minister, but with those who put their face to it. It is time for the institutions to take a certain position, because now the only policy is to be on the side of vaccines: those who hesitate are not doing the job of representing the people. One can argue whether a vaccine is better or another, but to be against vaccination today is to be against the state and ourselves, against the very essence of the people ».
The Covid vaccine, however, is optional.
“I hope that anyone who decides not to take risks for themselves and those around them. When the results are seen in October, those who have not done so will realize their mistake, and I hope it is not too late ».
Are you afraid of these threats?
“I’m not afraid because I believe in science, vaccines and what I’ve done to date, but when they tell you they want to hang you by the feet or kill your wife and children, there is some concern. I hope the tension will ease. But I, in any case, do not retreat ».
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