Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

HOSPITAL

Covid spreads among Switzerland’s youth as vaccination impact becomes clearer

The weekly report released by Swiss health authorities on Thursday shows that the number of cases has dropped slightly but there have been more Covid-related deaths. Infections are now far more common among younger people.

Published: 9 April 2021 14:16 CEST
Covid spreads among Switzerland's youth as vaccination impact becomes clearer
More Covid-related hospitlisations have been reported in the past week. Photo by Fabrioce Coffrini / AFP

During the week of March 29th to April 4th, 12,284 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, against 12,555 the previous week, according to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

This represents 2.2 percent fewer infections than the week before, with the current incidence of 142.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Of the 8,016 samples analysed, 96 percent were identified as one of the mutations of the virus, predominantly the British variant.  

As the colour-coordinated map below shows, by far the most cases  (817,37 /100,000) were found in Uri.

It is important to note that the increase in the number of detected cases over the past month may be due at least partly to more frequent and widespread testing.

The proportion of tests carried out during this period rose by 8.7 percent.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Switzerland’s free coronavirus tests for every resident

Regarding the age groups, young people between 10 and 29 years were the most affected.

However, those over 70 were the least impacted, possibly thanks to increasing rates of vaccination among the elderly, FOPH said.

More hospital stays and deaths

Last week, 373 people were hospitalised due to Covid, against 329 the previous week. The number of Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care (171) remained stable.

There has been an increase, from 48 to 60, in the coronavirus-related deaths. Zurich recorded the most deaths (12), followed by the cantons of Vaud and Aargau (8).

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.

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?

SHOW COMMENTS