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 […]
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 […]
Coronavirus: deaths could be more than double some official figures
Given the unreliability of official Covid-19 infection numbers, some suggest looking only at the number of deaths, a number some researchers argue is more reliable. However, there is much to suggest the number of deaths, like the number of infections, could be significantly understated. Emerging data from Italy, Spain and France suggest that confirmed Covid-19 […]
Coronavirus: toilet paper shortage not just down to panic buying
A much covered aspect of the Coronavirus pandemic is the global run on toilet paper. Supermarket scenes of people fighting over rolls, were quickly followed by explanations. Irrational panic buying was the most common explanation for why toilet paper was selling out. If we could all resist the urge to panic buy there would be […]
Coronavirus: Switzerland extends lockdown until 26 April
On 8 April 2020, Switzerland’s government decided to extend the country’s lockdown measures for a further week. In a press release the Federal Council said the measures would be extended for another week and then possibly progressively loosened before the end of April. The measures have proved to be effective with the spread of the […]
