A number of European countries, including Switzerland, have announced plans to ease restrictions put in place to cut the spread of Covid-19. On 16 April 2020, Dr Hans Kluge, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, warned of the risks ahead. Make no mistake, despite this spring weather, we remain in the midst of a storm. Several […]
Swiss National Bank unlikely to resort to helicopter money
On 26 March 2020, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) announced it would lend unlimited money to banks to shore up the economy. Its COVID-19 refinancing facility (CRF), is aimed at strengthening the supply of credit to the Swiss economy by providing the banking system with additional liquidity. The SNB said there would be no upper […]
Switzerland leads neighbours on coronavirus testing
Despite widespread rationing of Covid-19 tests, Switzerland is among the nations that have tested the most. While many people with mild to moderate symptoms have not been tested, Switzerland’s overall test rate is high when compared internationally. By 16 April 2020, close to 2.4% of the population had been tested. Rates in Germany (2.1%), Italy […]
Coronavirus: Swiss government presents shutdown exit plan
On 16 April 2020, the Swiss government presented its plan for emerging from Switzerland’s coronavirus shutdown. Over the last few days the number of recorded new daily infections has been far below the worst days experienced since the outbreak began. In March 2020, daily new cases regularly exceed 1,000, occasionally exceeding 1,300. Over the last […]
Are Covid-19 deaths being undercounted in Switzerland?
The number of people dying from Covid-19 can be difficult to establish. Undercounting can occur when another cause of death is assigned to someone who has died from the disease, a particular risk when people die outside hospital. China recently increased the Covid-19 death toll in Wuhan by 50%, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency. […]
Coronavirus: numbers in Switzerland slow further
By 14 April 2020, a total 25,936 cases of Covid-19 infection had been recorded in Switzerland, a rise of 3,683 over the preceding 7 days. However, despite the continued rise in cases there are indications measures to slowdown the spread of the virus are working. New daily infections since the start of April 2020 from […]
Coronavirus: 82 percent of Geneva’s intensive care patients overweight
Out of 101 patients in Geneva’s HUG hospital in intensive care with Covid-19, 83 were overweight or obese, according to RTS. The figures are similar in Lausanne. There, around two thirds of intensive care patients with Covid-19 are obese, something particularly apparent among patients under 65, said a doctor interviewed by RTS. Being overweight increases […]
Free online courses – stay home and learn
Here is a list of free online courses for anyone at a home-confinement loose end. 1) Free Online Courses from Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2) Microsoft Free Online Courses 2020 3) World Health Organisation Free Online Courses with Free Certificates 4) Harvard University Free Online Courses 2020 5) Free Online Course on how to be […]
Coronavirus: most Swiss happy with current restrictions on movement
Despite emerging resistance to government imposed restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the Covid-19 virus, a majority of Swiss are happy with the restrictions, according to a survey on 5 April 2020 commissioned by RTS. According to the survey, the restrictions on assembly and movement introduced on 28 February 2020, are still viewed as […]
Coronavirus: smoking considerably increases risks
According to Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) smoking considerably increases the risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19. In addition, FOPH says it weakens the immune system in general and is therefore a risk factor for infection and urges smokers to quit, or at the very least cut down. Based on findings in […]
