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HEALTH

Is the pandemic to blame for Switzerland’s spate of avalanche deaths?

The death of an Irishman and a British national has brought the number of people killed in avalanches in Switzerland this winter to 14 - almost a record toll for the last two decades. But is the impact of the pandemic behind the high number of fatalities?

Is the pandemic to blame for Switzerland's spate of avalanche deaths?
Avalanche warning boards are on display at a closed area in the small resort of Zinal, Swiss Alps in 2018. Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

As of Tuesday afternoon, January 19th, 14 people have died as a result of avalanche accidents in Switzerland, including six over the past weekend alone. 

This is well above the average yearly figure of eight people. 

The number also is higher than the fatality count from any winter over the past two decades, other than 2014-15 where 18 people died as a result of avalanches. 

On Monday, a 29-year-old Irishman who lived in Valais died, along with a 38-year-old British man in Verbier in separate incidents. 

The Irish man was involved in an accident near Siviez and was later airlifted to Sion, where he succumbed to his injuries. 

On Sunday, 19-year-old Swiss died after an accident near Rochers de Naye. 

Three people died on Saturday in three separate avalanches in the cantons of Graubünden, Obwalden and Schwyz. 

Is coronavirus to blame? 

The pandemic has cut mobility and brought tourism almost to a standstill, but some experts have argued that lockdowns and other coronavirus measures have contributed to the higher than usual death rate. 

As reported in Switzerland’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the one commonality between all of the fatal accidents is that they happened ‘off piste’, i.e. not on the secured slopes where the vast majority of skiers ski. 

With many concerned about the potential for contracting the virus – and with ski resorts experiencing record popularity – the idea of going off piste has become more attractive. 

READ MORE: Large crowds on Swiss ski slopes spark concern over coronavirus spread 

But with Switzerland experiencing significant snowfall in recent weeks, the risk of avalanches has grown. 

On Saturday, January 16th, the SLF Avalanche Bulletin carried the warning of a “very dangerous avalanche situation away from secured slopes”. 

The SLF Avalanche Bulletin can be found here. 

The central and eastern Alps had an avalanche warning of four, which includes a caution that “individual winter sports enthusiasts could very easily trigger avalanches”, reports the NZZ.  

“The particularly dangerous conditions of this winter, with relatively little snow at the beginning and now extreme amounts of precipitation in some areas within a short period of time partially explain the sad result.”

Pierre Mathey, Managing Director of the Swiss Mountain Guide Association, said the lockdown also contributed to the fatality risk due to cabin fever. 

With people feeling more “locked in”, Mathey said they are more likely to want to go outdoors whenever it is allowed. 

Mathey also said that the avalanche warnings probably fell on deaf ears due largely to the bombardment of warnings and rules most people have experienced since the pandemic first broke out in March. 

“Unfortunately, you must assume that the warnings appear a little duller,” he told the NZZ

Would closing the slopes stop the deaths? 

While the coronavirus pandemic may be partially to blame for the higher than average fatality rates, experts have warned that simply closing the slopes is unlikely to make a difference. 

In fact, it could lead to a higher than average fatality rate, with people more likely to go off piste. 

Mathey said closing the slopes would force skiers to go into “open nature”. 

“It (closing the slopes) would be a programmed catastrophe,” Mathey said. 

 

 

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HEALTH

The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters

If you just moved to Switzerland (or even if you have lived here for a while), your learning curve about health-related matters in the country may be steep. These sites will help you find the information you need.

The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters

Staying healthy is probably one of your top priorities, but doing so in a foreign country is not easy.

That is why having some reliable resources that you can check out and follow will be helpful.

First: The Local

No, we are not doctors, but we have published a number of factual articles over the years about many aspects of healthcare in Switzerland that our readers find helpful.

You can find a compilation of these health-related stories here

Federal Office of Public Health 

Obviously, when it comes to matters of health, the Health Ministry has lots of information that will be relevant to you at one time or another.

Aside from matters of health policy (which is important for all residents of Switzerland), the site also has a regularly updated Infectious Diseases Dashboard to let you know what communicable illnesses are currently circulating in Switzerland — and how to avoid them.

It also provides age-specific health information and recommendations — for instance, for children and teenagers, as well as for the elderly.

Hospital websites

Individual hospitals in your area are good sources of information as well, and many of them are in English.

You can find there general health information, care and treatment options, online emergency room signup, new medical technologies being used, and other patient resources:

Geneva University Hospitals (HUG)

Vaud University Hospital (CHUV)

Zurich University Hospital

Basel University Hospital 

If you live in an area without a university medical centre, your local hospital is also a valuable source of health-related information.

Appointment booking platform

This website is especially useful for people who don’t yet have a doctor in Switzerland but need to set an appointment with one. 

It gives you an option of choosing a specialty and location, and then displays doctor’s names and addresses, background information about them, and which time slots they have available.

You can easily set up an appointment this way.

Your health insurer’s website

This may not be an intuitive choice for impartial information about healthcare but you may be surprised.

For instance, Sanitas insurance site has information about emergency care decisions, and how to void unnecessary medical treatments.

CSS has health information geared specifically to men and women.

Helsana talks about ways to combat stress and sleep problems.

These are just a few examples on what valuable tips you can find on your insurer’s website.

Websites devoted to specific medical conditions

If you seek information about a specific illness — such as treatment options in Switzerland — there are plenty of online resources for that as well.

For instance:

Heart and cardiovascular 

Diabetes 

Osteoporosis 

Mental illness 

General pain 

Other diseases 

Last but not least, while not related to health, these websites will also provide useful information for international residents:

The Swiss websites that can help you save money
 
The most useful website resources to help you get Swiss citizenship 
 
 

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