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Coronapandemie
How a Thurgau doctor wants to free Switzerland from closure in eight days
If possible, test the entire population twice with an antigen test for Covid-19 within five days and end the shutdown on the eighth day – that’s the vision of Misanto’s founder in Thurgau, Thomas Krech. You have already secured all the necessary components so you are not left with just one vision. Only one thing is missing: “The political will.”
University professor Dr. med Thomas Krech is the founder of the telemedicine company Misanto AG in Franefeld.
Federal President Guy Parmelin knows the formula for success against Covid-19: “Test, test, test.” And Frauenfeld telemedicine specialist Thomas Krech and his startup Misanto AG, together with partner companies, can offer everything needed for comprehensive testing throughout Switzerland. Does this mean that the crown pandemic in Switzerland is over? Unlikely. For a lasting effect, vaccines are needed and face masks should still be worn, as well as border controls to prevent reintroduction of the virus.
But that also requires political will. There’s a glimmer of hope here: Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset announced on Friday that the federal government planned to fund five free corona tests per person per month. Cost: one billion francs; The Federal Council wants to decide on March 12. Whether these billion are well invested is likely to be controversial.
Frauenfeld telemedicine specialist Thomas Krech has developed an alternative concept that would “only” cost around 400 million francs and which would counter the virus with a targeted and comprehensive double attack instead of the shower principle.
This is how the Thomas Krech concept works
On the one hand, Professor Thomas Krech is a specialist in microbiology, virology and epidemiology. On the other hand, he relies on electronic medicine with his company Misanto AG in Frauenfeld, which he founded in 2016. He connects the analogical medical world with the digital one. His concept, which could bring Switzerland out of the shutdown in eight days, is based on this. Here’s what the action and timing plan looks like:
- 1. Label: Delivery of 10 million rapid antigen tests to all Swiss households and border crossings. These rapid antigen tests, such as those offered by the pharmaceutical company Roche in Basel, are not currently approved in Switzerland. They are already approved in some other countries. The person taking the test enters the test result online on a platform. For those who, for whatever reason, cannot do this themselves, there will be other options, such as a point of contact with staff at a location.
- 2. Label: Those who test positive go to quarantine and do a PCR test as a second test to improve the reliability of the test result and avoid unnecessary measures. This saliva test is also shipped directly to your home.
- 3. LabelAnyone who also has a positive PCR test result should remain in isolation for ten days.
- 4. Label: Second shipment of 10 million self-tests to all households and national borders.
- 5. Label: Second self-test with Rapid Antigen Test. According to Thomas Kriech, this is to prevent infections that were already there on day 1, but are not yet effective, from going unnoticed. The data is entered again directly into an online platform or through an alternative.
- 6. Label: If the result is positive, another PCR test is performed.
- 7. Label: Those who are positive remain isolated.
- 8. Label: If enough households (70 to 80 percent) participate, politicians can announce lifting the lockdown.
That’s behind the Thomas Krech concept
As plausible as the concept may seem at first glance, the complexity of such an undertaking quickly draws attention. Who can perform 20 million rapid antigen tests? Who can guarantee the delivery of two 10 million tests to all households in four days? Who has the core competence and human and IT resources for digital data processing? Is there enough laboratory capacity for the necessary PCR tests?
A positive test result (two strips) on a rapid Covid-19 antigen test strip. This test, offered by Roche, has not yet been approved in Switzerland.
Thomas Krech could answer all questions with specific company names, but he does not want to reveal the names of potential partner companies yet. But he says this a lot: Roche could deliver the rapid antigen tests, the delivery would be ensured by the Swiss Post, and the data analysis by Misanto AG, founded by Krech, together with an IT partner. Personnel resources are in turn ensured by a personnel service provider, and laboratory capabilities for PCR testing in Switzerland are also sufficient.
The federal government itself would not have to take on any of the tasks itself. The relevant data would be sent to you in no time after the order was placed. The concept could be implemented in practice in two weeks. It goes without saying that awarding contracts would lead to a number of talking points such as price, data security, or tender procedures.
The only thing missing is the political will
Thomas Krech considers the possibility that the shutdown will end after eight days is “absolutely realistic”. Their reasoning: With this concept, the virus could be largely deprived of its breeding ground. You have to be aware of:
“Eight out of ten infected people are asymptomatic, but they spread. If we can avoid that, a lot will be accomplished. ”
Ultimately, it’s all just a matter of political will. It is critical to telemedicine that testing is done with a double whammy and in the right place and that everything is handled from a single source, if possible.
Federal Councilor Alain Berset announced Friday that the federal government would be willing to fund five free tests per person per month; the decision will be made on March 12. Estimate the costs in 1 billion Swiss francs. So far, the pandemic has cost the federal government around 15 billion francs.
