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The new variant of the virus poses an additional risk to the country, federal experts say. They demand an immediate expansion of test tracking capabilities and stricter rules.
Stronger rules are needed: Task Force Chairman Martin Ackermann (left) listens to Patrick Mathys of the BAG at the legendary press conference in mid-December.
Photo: Peter Klaunzer (Keystone / December 15, 2020)
For the federal task force in the fight against coronavirus, the urgency for strict measures is increasing in view of the new, more contagious variant of the virus. An immediate expansion of cantonal testing and tracing capabilities is also necessary.
According to the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), the new variant of the virus with the designation VOC-202012/01 has already been detected in two samples from Switzerland. Great efforts are now being made to analyze whether the virus is already more widespread in Switzerland, the working group wrote in a statement on Friday.
Information from various health authorities indicated that VOC-202012/01 is spreading rapidly and is likely to be more contagious than other Sars-Cov-2 variants. However, there is currently no evidence that the new variant of the virus causes more serious illness than other variants. There is also no evidence that the virus variant is not covered by the immune response caused by vaccines. (Read our article on this: What is known about the mutated coronavirus).
New virus variant: new risk
Therefore, the new variant of the virus poses an additional risk for Switzerland, as its spread would make it more difficult to control the epidemic in Switzerland.
The working group had already communicated on December 15 that, from its point of view, strict measures are indicated at the national level. The emergence of the probably most contagious virus variant further increases this urgency, the task force now writes.
To prevent or slow the spread of the new virus variant in Switzerland, the working group believes that, in addition to measures to reduce contact, an immediate expansion of cantonal testing and tracing capabilities and constant implementation of the isolation and quarantine regulations. . Efforts to identify groups and sources of infection are particularly important in the current situation. (See.: The task force calls for drastic measures).
The above measures are still effective
All known measures would also work against the new variant of the virus, the working group continues. For transmissions, contacts are needed and something can be actively done against them together, that is, reducing the contacts as much as possible.
For weeks, Switzerland has been in a situation of epidemiological risk with a very high number of infections and deaths, a constant increase in several regions and a health system that is under extremely heavy pressure. The coming days and weeks would host additional risk factors: holidays and winter tourism with increased contacts and mobility and the possibility of further drops in temperature.
