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The sharp increase in new infections and the high rate of positive tests worried Nicola Low. “We are at a critical threshold,” says the scientist. Zug is leading the way with the cantons and preparing tougher measures.
Corona test at the children’s hospital in Lausanne: a new rapid test could make an important contribution to containing the virus.
Since mid-September there has been a slight relaxation: the number of cases fell after a one-week increase. They fell below the 400 mark, based on the 7-day average. But the favorable development appears to be short-lived. The curve has been pointing up again for a few days, and even steeper than before. The 7-day average is 461 cases. That’s 41 percent more than the previous week. On Tuesday, the Federal Office of Public Health even reported 700 new infections. However, the individual day numbers should be interpreted with caution, as the matches between the test and reporting systems play an important role.
The epidemiologist Nicola Low speaks of a “very worrying fact” in view of the last weeks. The ongoing exponential increase was already a warning before the 700 new corona cases. Currently, the balance between preventive measures and relaxation is wrong. Low is a member of the Federal Scientific Task Force.
Low is particularly concerned about the large number of positive test results relative to the number of tests performed. That positivity rate was 9.7 percent on Tuesday. “This is really bad,” says Low. Switzerland proves very little. This means that not all infected people are discovered. It could spread the virus further. On average over the past 14 days, the rate of positive tests is 4.9 percent.
To make matters worse, according to Low, the virus has spread more widely in Switzerland. The infection process is not concentrated in just a few hot spots. This makes it more difficult to keep the spread of the virus under control.
Canton Zug reaches the limit
Low cautions: “We are at a critical threshold. It’s probably too late to get the situation under control again by appealing to people’s behavior. “The epidemiologist calls for a wide range of adjustments: more testing, a general mask requirement in stores, new restrictions on events. The risk of infection it is particularly high indoors without maintaining distance, mask and good ventilation.
Zug’s health director, Martin Pfister, was also concerned Tuesday. The increasing number of cases would put great pressure on contact tracing, the governing council said at a joint press conference with federal councilor Alain Berset in Zug. Berset obtained an overview of the situation in the canton on the spot. Zug has now reached a point where the behavior of the population has to change, Pfister said. If the trend continues and the canton reaches a limit on contact tracing, the Zug governing council is likely to impose more drastic measures. On Wednesday he will provide information on how to proceed.
Health Minister Berset is also concerned about the growing number of infections. However, unlike spring, the situation is under control. He believes that current protection concepts are a good way to find a balance between a return to normalcy and the necessary precaution. According to Berset, celebrations in private circles are currently problematic. In this context, the vigilance of people and compliance with protection measures would decrease. The number of cases is increasing, especially in metropolitan areas.
Quick test before approval
Rapid tests would be helpful in containing the coronavirus. On Tuesday, Berset learned of the status of developments at Roche. Currently, the tests are being controlled by the Swiss reference laboratory in Geneva. When they can be used, it remains open for the moment. The federal government is working to incorporate rapid testing into the existing testing strategy. The advantage of these antigen tests is that the results are available in about 15 minutes, as Roche writes on their website. As with a traditional PCR test, a nasal swab is taken. The result is visible on a test strip. You don’t need an analyzer. Thanks to rapid tests, infected people could be quarantined more quickly. Also, you would not have to spend a maximum of 48 hours at home in quarantine after a test until the test result is known.
