By Edward Girardet Over two days last week, Thailand reported a score of new coronavirus cases. All were Thai nationals returning by air from the Middle East. Otherwise, there have been almost no new community or ‘inside country’ cases since mid-May. Thai Airways (as with a growing number of other airlines) requires a “fit-to-fly” medical […]
Switzerland holds off on open borders with Italy
Switzerland’s Federal Council announced on June 2 that it plans to maintain border restrictions with Italy until further notice as a reciprocal border arrangement with Italy would be premature. From 3 June 2020, Swiss residents will be able to travel to and return from Italy, but Italians or Italian residents will not be able to […]
Coronavirus: 22,000 Swiss deaths if there had been no shutdown, estimate modellers in Zurich
Based on data from the first wave of Covid-19, epidemic modellers in Zurich estimate Switzerland would have suffered 22,000 deaths without the restrictions on daily life introduced in March 2020. The modelling, done by Fadoua Balabdaoui and Dirk Mohr at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), estimates nearly 75% of Switzerland’s population […]
Coronavirus: a second wave forecast for Switzerland
Epidemic modellers in Zurich predict a possible second wave of Covid-19 in Switzerland. Their forecast suggests it could be more deadly than the first if no effective treatments or vaccines materialise. The modelling work, done by Fadoua Balabdaoui and Dirk Mohr at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), predicts Switzerland’s state of […]
Coronavirus: around 2% of Switzerland’s medical staff infected
2.1% of the 100,000 hospital staff working across 20 Swiss hospitals were infected with SARS-COV-2, according to a report published in the SonntagsZeitung. The worst affected hospitals were in Geneva (6.26%), Neuchâtel (3.18%), Valais (2.86%), Lausanne (2.75%), Fribourg (2.74%) and Jura (2.11%). Rates of infection in hospitals in German-speaking Switzerland were lower. Thurgau’s hospital recorded […]
Coronavirus: the possible role of vitamin D
A recently published paper considers the role of vitamin D in the outcome of Covid-19 cases. One mostly overlooked factor that could influence outcome of COVID-19 is the relative vitamin D status of populations, says the author. Whether low vitamin D levels are a cause or consequence of disease remains a point of heated debate. […]
Coronavirus: number of tests stagnates in Switzerland
The number of daily new cases has remained low in Switzerland throughout May. The highest number of new cases over this period was recorded on 1 May (119). The latest daily number, published on 29 May, was 31 new daily cases. Since the beginning of May the number has been as low as 10. By […]
Swiss have mixed feelings about working from home, according to survey
Working from home is a mixed bag of pros and cons for most Swiss who were surveyed by gfs.bern in March and April 2020. But it worked for most. In 2019, before the outbreak of the corona pandemic, around 1.1 million employees in Switzerland occasionally worked from home. During the pandemic the number of hours […]
40% of Swiss restaurants unsure of survival under current restrictions
40% of restaurants that have reopened in Switzerland fear they won’t survive, according to a recent industry survey by Gastro Suisse. When Switzerland’s federal government allowed restaurants to reopen on 11 May 2020 around three quarters did. Many of those that didn’t, decided they wouldn’t be able to turn a profit operating with the required […]
Children soon allowed to cycle with pedestrians in Switzerland
Switzerland’s government recently announced that children up to 12 will be allowed to cycle on footpaths from 1 January 2021. The new rules will allow all young children to ride on footpaths when there is no cycle lane. Currently, only first grade primary school children can cycle on sidewalks in Switzerland. The government said that […]
