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HEALTH

Coronavirus: Switzerland’s intensive care units ‘close to capacity or above’

Despite almost three weeks of shutdown measures, the situation in Switzerland's intensive care units remains critical.

Published: 17 November 2020 17:18 CET
Coronavirus: Switzerland’s intensive care units ‘close to capacity or above’
A health worker is monitoring a patient at intensive care unit for patients infected with Covid-19 at the hospital of La-Chaux-de-Fonds on November 5, 2020. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

In a press conference on Tuesday, Swiss heath officials warned the public to “reduce your contacts even further” as the country’s free intensive care beds continued to dwindle. 

Despite almost three weeks passing since Switzerland put in place a more extensive set of coronavirus measures, hospitalisations and fatalities remain high. 

READ: Switzerland's new coronavirus measures explained

The situation in intensive care beds is particularly dire, with several cantons “close to capacity or above”. 

Not only does this increase the risks for potential coronavirus patients, people with other serious conditions also face higher risks. 

‘We have to take the pressure off the healthcare system’

Virginie Masserey, the Head of Infection Control Section at the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH, said the number of new infections was still too high. 

In several cantons, intensive care bed capacities were already exceeded, with hospitals struggling to add extra beds. 

“We cannot count on the hospitals to constantly increase their acute beds forever,” Mastery said. 

“We absolutely have to maintain the measures. It remains the only way to take the pressure off the healthcare system. 

While infection numbers have slowed somewhat, they remain high. 

READ: What are the coronavirus measures in every Swiss canton? 

“We assume that the slowdown is due to the measures. But what is decisive is the behaviour of the population,” said Masserey. 

“Reduce your contacts even further.”

Where is the situation critical?

Andreas Stettbacher from the Federal Council Delegate for the Coordinated Medical Service (KSD) said there were 240 free intensive care beds across the country – just 21 percent of the total allocation. 

However, in individual cantons, “intensive care units are close to the capacity limit or above”. 

The situation is particularly dire in Aargau, Fribourg and Solothurn, where capacity has already exceeded 90 percent – while in Glarus ICU patients have already exceeded the canton’s capacity. 

The following chart shows how full each canton’s intensive care units are on a percentage basis. Data for Obwalden and Appenzell Innerrhoden has not been provided.  

 

 

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FOOD AND DRINK

EXPLAINED: What does the ‘bio’ label on foods in Switzerland really mean?

All major Swiss supermarkets have products designated as ‘bio’, which refers to their ‘organic’ farming or manufacturing methods. But what exactly does this label represent?

Published: 24 June 2024 11:31 CEST
EXPLAINED: What does the 'bio' label on foods in Switzerland really mean?

In its press release published in June 2024, Bio Suisse, an umbrella group for organic food producers, said that residents of Switzerland are international ‘bio’ champions. 

“With consumption of 454 francs per capita, Switzerland ranks first in international comparison,” the organisation said. “In no other European country is the organic basket of goods as large.”

In terms of preference for organic food, “Switzerland is ahead of Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg and Sweden. Germany follows in sixth place and France just behind in seventh place,” Bio-Suisse added.

This finding is not surprising because the consumption of this more expensive type of food is directly linked to income: the wealthier the country, the more its residents are willing to spend on organic products.

What does a ‘bio’ label stand for in Switzerland?

In a nutshell, organic products must meet much higher standards and comply with more requirements than the ‘conventional’ foods in the way they are grown and manufactured.

Contrary to most conventional production methods, organic farming is more sustainable — that is, it protects the environment and conserves resources instead of depleting them.

A total of 7,362 organic farmers and producers are members of Bio Suisse.

In addition, more than 2,300 operations abroad are also certified according to the Bio Suisse standards, which means their farming / production methods are equivalent to those practiced in Switzerland.

Can you trust a ‘bio’ label, or is it just a lot of hype (as some people claim?)

In Switzerland, this process is strictly controlled by various organic farming ordinances, which are enforced by the Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW). 

This means that every farm that produces, prepares, trades or imports organic products is inspected and certified at least once a year by one of the four accredited and approved certification bodies in Switzerland.

These laws also set out the principles by which agricultural products and foodstuffs labelled as organic must be made, and which non-toxic substances are authorised for use in organic farming and for preparing organic food.

Why are organic products more expensive than conventional ones?

Among the main reasons are more rigorous production and certification standards, which must meet all the requirements set out by the BLW.

Also, operational costs involved in the use of natural, pesticide-free fertilisers and high-quality animal feed, are higher in organic farming than in conventional one.

Additionally, the supply of organic food in Swiss supermarkets is more limited than that of conventional one, which pushes prices up.

And then there is this often-asked question: is organic food in Switzerland in really healthier?

Some people will swear by the better quality and higher nutritional value of organic products, while others will say the benefits are exaggerated.

There is no definite answer to this question, except this: some studies have shown possible health benefits of organic foods when compared with foods grown using conventional process.

However, there is limited information to prove how these differences can give potential overall health benefits.

But Zurich authorities believe in the ‘power’ of organic foods: in 2022, they mandated that most of the food served in the city’s hospitals, care centres, childcare facilities, and schools, be organic.

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