Swine flu pandemic could cost SFr6 billion

A swine flu pandemic in Switzerland could cost the country nearly SFr6 billion ($5.56 billion), according to a study published on Wednesday.

This is four-and-a-half times more than for a seasonal flu, say private bankers Bordier & Cie of Geneva in their assessment.

An outbreak of a pandemic of the A/H1N1 virus would involve total costs of SFr5.85 billion, based on a duration of 25 days. This amounts to 1.08 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The most expensive factor would be the cost of normal hospital stays. Assuming that a person would need to stay three days and would involve ten per cent of the population at risk, the costs would be just over SFr2 billion.

Costs would amount to SFr714 million for those admitted to intensive care for two days. This would include two per cent of the population at risk.

Absenteeism at the workplace would cost SFr1.45 billion, assuming that a quarter of the Swiss workforce was affected over an average of seven working days.

The costs of treatment involving the antiviral drug Tamiflu would come to SFr292 million for one in four of the population.

Vaccination and the associated medical treatment would total SFr911 million for one in four of the population.

swissinfo.ch with agencies