Schumacher: Rumors Again and Again

The official communication regarding the case of Michael Schumacher, who has been hospitalized since December 29 following a serious skiing accident in the Méribel resort, once again issued a terse statement yesterday in response to yet another rumor about the health status of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion.

For nearly a month and a half, the news surrounding Michael Schumacher has been driven by official statements, particularly from Sabine Kehm, the manager of the driver who is seriously injured in the head. This Wednesday, February 12, she broke her silence for the German press agency DPA: « As always when something like this happens, my response is that announcements not made by the doctors or management should be considered speculation.

This « something » mentioned by S. Kehm is the rumor reported on Tuesday by the German daily newspaper Bild, stating a possible pneumonia contracted by Michael Schumacher at the Grenoble hospital where he is currently being treated and in a waking phase. There is no doubt that the fact this unconfirmed “information” was picked up and presented as dramatic prompted this statement, even though specialists have been able to explain that it is a common infection in the case of a prolonged coma that can be treated relatively easily with antibiotics.

Last week, the rumor of Michael Schumacher being in a vegetative state which then transformed into a rumor of his death, spread and amplified on Twitter and by certain media, forced the Grenoble University Hospital to break its silence. This was not to provide updates on the German’s health, as has been announced and confirmed with each notable change in the situation, but rather to quash these “rumors.”

The serious injury of the champion requires a long period of medical treatment and care. This unchanging and essential state of affairs to hope for the best recovery for Michael Schumacher does not suit the media time that often only satisfies itself with immediacy, likely explaining the lack of consideration and restraint shown by some media in the repetition and dramatization of what, in the absence of official confirmation, is just another rumor surrounding an already very serious situation.

Updated on February 13, at 6:00 PM: through a new statement relayed by Sabine Kehm, Michael Schumacher’s family has spoken. Here is the full statement: « The Schumacher family would like to once again express their sincere thanks for all the sympathy received from around the world. This comforts the family, and we are convinced it also helps Michael, who is still in the awakening phase.

As is often the case in such situations, the days follow one another but are not the same. The family expresses their gratitude to those who understand they do not wish to disclose medical details, as they want to protect Michael’s privacy. As promised from the start, we will continue to communicate any significant new information regarding Michael’s health. We know that the awakening process can take a long time.

The family continues to strongly believe in Michael’s recovery and has complete trust in the teams of doctors, nurses, and aides. The most important thing is not the speed of the recovery but that Michael’s healing progresses continuously and in a controlled manner.