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COVID-19

‘Not bad news’: Why Swiss experts are optimistic about rising Covid cases

Two weeks after Switzerland lifted almost all restrictions, the number of infections is climbing back up again. Why is this happening and what does it mean?

Published: 4 March 2022 16:52 CET
'Not bad news': Why Swiss experts are optimistic about rising Covid cases
Covid cases are on the rise, mostly with mild symptoms. Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels

After reaching the peak in January, then falling and stabilising for a while — prompting the Federal Council to scrap nearly all health measures from February 17th —  the number of new infections in on the rise again.

From just over 16,000 cases in the third week of February, the number jumped to more than 18,000 seven days ago, and to 25,131 additional cases on Friday — an increase of over 31 percent in one week, according to data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Image: FOPH

While this increase may be disappointing for all those who are hoping the Federal Council will lift remaining Covid rules — masks on public transportation and in health establishments, as well isolation obligation for infected individuals — from the end of the month, this epidemiological evolution was predictable.

In the very least, “it is not a surprise”, Didier Pittet, head of the infection prevention service at Geneva’s University Hospitals (HUG), said in an interview with RTS public broadcaster on Friday.

That’s because “we know that Omicron is extremely contagious”, he said, noting that this variant now accounts for 99.7 percent of all Covid cases in Switzerland.

“The impact of contamination is currently commonplace. We relaxed the measures, we expected that there would be transmission”.

While the virus “is problematic for unvaccinated people,” the fact that number of infections is climbing “is not necessarily bad news because these contaminations contribute to building our immunity”, Pittet pointed out.

While those who have not had their vaccines may have a more severe course of the disease, others “will have small colds and headaches. It’s not too serious. We probably have to go through this stage so that immunity grows and next fall we are better armed for the very likely return of this virus”, he said.

The only way this spike in infections would cause alarm is if the number of Covid patients suddenly increased in Swiss hospitals, leading to eventual saturation of ICUs.

So far, this does not seem to be the case, though more Covid admissions have been registered in one week: from 127 on February 28th to 138 on March 2nd. As a comparison, 306  ICU beds were occupied by coronavirus patients at the beginning of January.

READ MORE: Why did Switzerland relax Covid measures?

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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.

Published: 15 November 2023 15:32 CET
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?

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