SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

COVID-19

When will the Covid pandemic end in Switzerland?

That question in on many people’s minds, in Switzerland and elsewhere. And while nobody has a crystal ball, some epidemiologists say the health crisis may be nearing its end soon, thanks to Omicron.

Could the pandemic be over in Switzerland by the time the snow melts? Photo by Zachary Nelson on Unsplash
Could the pandemic be over in Switzerland by the time the snow melts? Photo by Zachary Nelson on Unsplash

Is it possible that, even amid soaring infections impacting the healthcare system, the Covid pandemic may actually be winding down in Switzerland?

It is a possibility, health specialists say.

According to Rudolf Hauri from the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors, “we will overcome most of the pandemic by the spring, as the baseline immunity will be high enough”.

That’s because the highly contagious Omicron variant, which is now dominant in Switzerland, will infect at least 50 percent of the country’s population in a few weeks’ time, said Richard Neher, member of the Covid-19 Task Force.

READ MORE: Omicron officially dominant in Switzerland

All that’s needed is for the Omicron variant to continue to spread at the rapid current rate, he added.

Epidemiologist Christian Drosten is also optimistic about the end of the pandemic.

Fully vaccinated individuals may soon be living in a “completely normal state and the pandemic will be over for these people”, although masks may still have to be worn in closed public places for some time, he said.

Infectious disease specialist Huldrych Günthard from University Hospital Zurich sees a positive evolution on the health front  as well.

“The pandemic should be over by the summer”, as long as ​​more people are vaccinated, and the unvaccinated become infected, he said.

These are best-case scenarios for Switzerland, but they can become a reality only if certain conditions are met.

For Günthard, it is that no vaccine-resistant variant appears in the meantime.

And some more jabs may be necessary to finally overcome the pandemic, according to Drosten.

In addition to current boosters, “a fourth vaccination adapted to the Omicron variant” in the summer could be “necessary for everyone in order to end the pandemic. For groups at risk or the elderly, the fifth shot may even be necessary in the winter of 2022”, he noted.

READ MORE: IN NUMBERS: Which Swiss cantons have most Omicron cases?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

COVID-19

What does the increase in the number of Covid cases in Switzerland mean?

Coronavirus infections are on the rise again, with Swiss health officials and epidemiologists expressing concern over the possible evolution of the disease.

What does the increase in the number of Covid cases in Switzerland mean?

While the worst of the Covid pandemic is long over, and experts don’t expect it to re-emerge with the same strength and health consequences as it had in 2020, new cases have been reported in the past weeks.

Wastewater analysis, one of the means employed by health officials to measure the presence of coronavirus, indicates a viral load that is at least five times higher than usual, with values “now almost as high as in some previous Omicron-related waves,” Christoph Ort, spokesperson for Eawag Institute, which traces Covid viruses in 14 wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland, told the media.

What does this mean?

According to Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the most common sub-variant in Switzerland right now is the highly transmissible XBB, also known as ‘Kraken.’

The Eris and Pirola variants, which circulated in the summer and early fall are also still present.

While none is nearly as dangerous (at least for most people) as the early Alpha and Delta viruses, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the early stages of the pandemic, there is a reason for concern nevertheless.

“It’s a start of a small wave,” said Rudolf Hauri, head of the Cantonal Doctors’ Association.

“More people are being admitted to hospitals again with, or because of, coronavirus. There are also new cases in intensive care units, but these are generally people with a medical history.”

Should you be worried?
 
While the number of people with serious Covid-related complications is not expected to be as high as previously, the rise in the number of infections should not be trivialised either, infectious disease specialists say.
 
This is especially important for people in the high-risk category — those over 65 or suffering from chronic illnesses — who can get quite sick if infected with the new variants, according to FOPH.
 
This is all the more important as the flu season is about to begin in Switzerland as well, and the confluence of both illnesses, plus other respiratory viruses that typically circulate during the winter, can be very risky.
 
What can you do to protect yourself?
 
Other than adopting the same protective measures as those during the pandemic — that is, washing hands, avoiding close contacts and crowded spaces, and wearing masks where needed — health officials also recommend top-up shots, for both Covid and flu.

READ ALSO: Who should get top-up Covid and flu jabs in Switzerland?

SHOW COMMENTS