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No mask requirements, no contact tracking, yet Switzerland opens on Monday
The second stage of easing coronavirus measures in Switzerland continues on Monday. In addition to other stores, schools, bars and restaurants are expected to start operating again. A big step towards normality, but how do we keep the number of cases under control?
By blocking the coronavirus, Switzerland has reduced the number of cases from more than 1,000 new infections per day to 66 recently. Therefore, the lock can be reserved as a success. But now a new phase is beginning in the fight against the pandemic. Normality should be restored as much as possible without risking a second wave.
>> Corona Virus: all the news live
The example from South Korea shows how this balancing act works. Here is particular about the use Masks in public, rigid Track contacts of new infections and Discipline established in accordance with hygiene standards. I could continue Antibody tests Helps with infection determination.
Can Switzerland imitate the South Korean model starting Monday? This verification shows it:
Protective face masks
Why do we need them? Not everyone infected with coronavirus suffers from symptoms of Covid-19 lung disease. This is how people who carry the virus in their bodies but do not know it move in public. If all people in public spaces wear protective masks, unconscious transmission of the virus becomes more difficult.
How many do we need? According to an ETH study, Switzerland would need around 360 million protective masks over three months to serve both health workers and the Swiss population. This study assumes that everyone who walks in public wears a protective mask.
How many do we have At the moment, Swiss health institutions can receive enough protective masks. However, long-term supplies are needed here. For this, level 2 FFP masks will be made in Switzerland. Two corresponding machines from Shanghai arrived in Switzerland in late April. They should be able to produce 80,000 to 100,000 masks of this type, every day. However, according to Zurich Health Director Natalie Rickli, the machines will only go live in mid-May.
But for containment, health workers not only need such protective masks, but the population can also use them to protect each other, for example on public transport or when shopping. Switzerland is also busy making masks here.
So far, the Federal Council has not decided on a general mask requirement. Therefore, they should be used where the minimum two-meter distance cannot be maintained, but the Swiss can still go shopping without a mask or use public transport. The federal government has supplied masks to major retailers and pharmacies to sell to the population at cost price.
Track contacts
Why do we need it? To avoid a second wave of infection, new cases should be identified and isolated. With contact tracking, all people who have been in contact with a newly infected person can be identified and isolated.
When it comes A contact tracking app in Switzerland will probably not be available to the general public until July. So, about a month after the last opening phase in Switzerland. So far there is no app that works well worldwide, but Switzerland should lag behind in international comparison in July.
Tracking contacts of sick people can also be done by people. For the moment, however, the federal government and the BAG leave this to the cantons. There is no coordination across Switzerland for this.
Discipline
Why do we need them? Even if the number of cases decreases and the federal government relaxes its measures, the population of Switzerland still has to comply with hygiene rules and social distancing rules. If not, the measurements must be adjusted again.
How about that? After the announcement of the blockade on March 16, the movement data of the Swiss have decreased dramatically. This was demonstrated by figures from ETH Zurich. However, this discipline is now crumbling. Every week, the Swiss move on average more frequently and further from their place of residence.
Images of the whole of Switzerland, in which large groups of people sit together and enjoy the sun, are becoming increasingly common. The cantonal police “have noticed a certain amount of fatigue if the rules against the coronavirus are observed,” as they write in a message.
With the opening on Monday, the social distancing of the population is likely to falter. How strong, however, cannot yet be estimated.
Antibody tests
Why do we need them? Antibody tests throughout the area can be used to determine the degree of infection in the population. Experts believe that collective immunity will develop if around 60 percent of the population has already been infected with a coronavirus.
Where do we stop here? Switzerland has already imported some antibody tests. Now, however, its validity must be verified. In another step, the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH +) is using its Corona Immunitas initiative to coordinate all research on these antibody tests.
Roche chief Severin Schwan had promised to bring reliable antibody tests to market in early May. By June, it should be possible to produce enough for bulk testing. Until now, the validity of these tests is still pending.
Why the validity of antibody tests is so important:
(ohe / leo / sda)
Corona virus: the situation worldwide:
What you need to know about the corona virus:
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