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COVID-19

Switzerland ‘three weeks behind Austria’ as hospitals warn of triage

The Swiss government on Tuesday warned the country was “three weeks behind Austria”, amid steep rises in Covid cases and a dramatic surge in hospital admissions.

Published: 23 November 2021 19:36 CET
An ambulance approaches Geneva University Hospital. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
Experts have warned Switzerland's hospitals may soon be overloaded. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, several Swiss experts warned that Switzerland was on course to reach Covid infection rates similar to those of neighbouring Austria in three weeks time. 

Switzerland’s Covid Taskforce chief Tanja Stadler warned “Switzerland is three weeks behind Austria”, pointing to current trends in case numbers and hospitalisations. 

On Monday, November 22nd, Austria shuttered bars and restaurants, while announcing that the Covid vaccine will become compulsory in February next year. 

READ MORE: Will Switzerland make the Covid vaccine compulsory?

The Taskforce said the number of people in hospital with Covid was increasing by 40 percent each week and will reach Austria-style capacities in mid-December, with surgeries cancelled and hospitals needing to make triage decisions about who to treat in intensive care. 

Some central Swiss cantons have already started putting plans in place to move patients due to capacity issues, while in Lucerne hospitals have been cancelling elective surgery appointments. 

“Elective interventions have already had to be postponed in order to be able to care for the people in the intensive care unit,” Lucerne health director Guido Graf told Blick. 

“We have to prepare for a new wave,” cantonal doctor Aglaé Tardin told the press conference. 

Federal Office of Public Health crisis management boss Patrick Mathys said “the situation is classified as critical.” 

New measures on the horizon? 

As recently on Thursday, Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset ruled out tightening the existing Covid measures at a federal level. 

At the press conference, Mathys said the government’s newly approved booster campaign would help lighten the load on hospitals. 

READ MORE: Switzerland approves Covid-19 boosters for everyone over 16

Mathys did however call upon the cantons to put in place measures to stop the spread of the virus. 

As it stands, cantons with lower vaccination rates are being hit harder than those where more people are vaccinated. 

Mathys highlighted that the infection rate is six times higher in Nidwalden than in Ticino. 

More than 70 percent of people in Ticino have received at least one shot of the vaccine, while Nidwalden’s corresponding rate of 65.8 is lower than the national average. 

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COVID-19

What you need to know about the new Covid-19 wave in Switzerland

When the pandemic was winding down two years ago, health authorities warned that while the worst was over, Covid will keep re-emerging, in one form or another, in the future.

Published: 19 July 2024 11:45 CEST
What you need to know about the new Covid-19 wave in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the number of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases has increased by around 50 percent over the last four weeks, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).  

Add to it the undeclared cases, and that figure is even higher.

“The number of positive tests is climbing, and further increases cannot be ruled out,” FOPH said.

Overall, however, the number of infections remains low.

Why is Covid still around in Switzerland?

As epidemiologists predicted, coronavirus will keep mutating, with different strains emerging over time.

Covid’s new variants, KP.2 and KP.3, are currently circulating throughout the country, causing the number of cases to go up.

That’s because the latest variants spread fast and are particularly resistant to antibodies — which means that whatever immunity you may have built up through previous infections or vaccinations are not sufficient to stop new infections.

What are the symptoms?

The most common ones are similar to those of seasonal flu — that is, cough, fever, headache, muscle pain, cold, sore throat, as well as tiredness.

But just as with the previous bouts, some people will experience milder symptoms, while others more severe ones.

For the time being, these variants have not caused serious developments in most people, and only a small number have required hospitalisation.

What should you do if symptoms appear?

If you do become infected, FOPH recommends avoiding contact with other people, especially those who are particularly at risk of complications.

Measures imposed by the government during earlier outbreaks, such as isolation and quarantine, are not necessary at this point — though health authorities say that, similarly to to previous bouts, you should wear a mask and keep your distance.

And if you are in a high-risk group, contact your doctor immediately.

Should you get (re)vaccinated?

Ask your doctor about that.

Compulsory basic insurance will pay for the vaccine for high-risk people, and possibly their carertakers, based on doctor’s recommendations.

Others must pay for the shot out of their pockets. A dose costs around 100 francs.

Should you cancel your vacation if you test positive?

It is up to you and your own sense of responsibility.

“It would be best to cancel the flight immediately,” said Christiane Meier, vice-president of the Association of Cantonal Doctors. If you decide to go anyway, “wear a mask and keep your distance,” she added.
 
Should we expect a further increase in the number of cases after the holidays?

According to FOPH, it is not yet possible to know for sure, though this possibility can’t be excluded.

Swiss health authorities are constantly monitoring the evolution, but are not making any predictions for the moment.

What they do say is that though new variants spread fast and resist immunity, “there is no reason to panic at this stage.”

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