Switzerland is experiencing a significant wave of Covid-19 infection, suggest various data. However, a variant like Delta, which caused more severe cases and can easily bypass immunity, has not yet recurred, reported SRF.
Wastewater samples suggest a new wave is underway. The viral load in the wastewater in half of the regions where it is measured in Switzerland has risen by between 80% and 100% over the last 7 days, although it remains somewhat unclear how to interpret the information from these samples. The level of Covid-19 viral matter detected in wastewater cannot easily be translated into a number of people infected – a few heavily infected individuals could have the same effect as a larger number of mildly infected people.
With so few now testing for the disease, wastewater remains a key measure for assessing the spread of the virus. Another source of data in Switzerland is Sentinella, a network of around 160 Swiss family doctors. These doctors have been sending in swabs from patients with respiratory infections. Covid-19 accounted for around a third (34%) of viral respiratory infections reported in the first week of November.
However, a variant like Delta, which struck during the summer and autumn of 2021 and caused more severe cases has not since emerged. Since the beginning of 2022, milder Omicron variants have dominated. And two new notable variants: Eris (EG.5) and Pirola (BA.2.86), have not triggered their own waves.
it seems that the individual risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 is lower than ever before. This is probably because most people have robust immunity through vaccinations and infections and there are currently no new, more dangerous variants.
However, it is more difficult to estimate the risk of developing Long Covid after an infection due to significant gaps in the data. At the same time, epidemiologist Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, using data from health agencies, estimates the current risk of a recently vaccinated person getting Long Covid to be dramatically lower than it was during the pandemic.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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