The Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB) has launched a centralised platform to collect genetic sequences of the new coronavirus in Switzerland to ensure better monitoring of variants and boost international research efforts.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Español
es
Suiza lanza plataforma para rastrear variantes de COVID
The Swiss Pathogen Surveillance Platform (SPSP) will provide the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) with “an automated overview of the distribution and emergence of variants throughout the country”, the SIB said in a statementExternal link on Wednesday.
This will enable the rapid sharing of Swiss sequences with international partners and thus help accelerate research into vaccines and treatments, the institute said.
“The sequences come from almost all of the Swiss cantons. This is excellent news, because it means that new variants are unlikely to go under the radar,” said Aitana Lebrand, who is in charge of the new platform.
Single entry point
In August 2021 more than 5,600 sequencesExternal link were being analysed by more than ten academic or private laboratories in Switzerland. But a centralised standard system is necessary to properly register and coordinate SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences.
“Thanks to the surveillance platform developed by the SIB, we can access a centralised and standardised database through a single entry point, rather than receiving reports from each laboratory in different formats,” said Mirjam Mäusezahl, co-director of the epidemiology section at the FOPH.
Funded by the Swiss authorities, the SPSP platform also sends fully anonymised viral sequences to open science platforms, such as the European Covid-19 portalExternal link, to boost international research. Switzerland is currently ranked fourthExternal link in terms of the number of SARS-CoV-2 sequences it has shared, after the UK, the US and Germany.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Porrentruy mayor comments on Swiss pool ban controversy
This content was published on
The mayor of the Swiss town of Porrentruy, which has been in the headlines in neighbouring France after restricting access to a pool to locals after a spate of anti-social behaviour, says he has received much support in recent days.
Swiss universities to release multilingual AI programme
This content was published on
This summer researchers at Swiss universities will make available a large language model (LLM), an AI programme trained on vast amounts of data, developed on public infrastructure.
This content was published on
After a one-year test phase, Zurich's cantonal police are introducing an online police station. Demand is high and the response from the public has been positive.
This content was published on
The chic resort of St Moritz in southeastern Switzerland has registered "summer" as a trademark under the name "St Summer". The resort in canton Graubünden is launching a campaign to strengthen its summer business.
Swiss authorities detail progress on station access for people with reduced mobility
This content was published on
The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) said on Wednesday that 43 stations had been adapted for people with reduced mobility last year. The vast majority of rail travellers (82%) now benefit from easier access to stations, it says.
This content was published on
The prices of homes and apartments in Switzerland rose again in June. In the Lake Geneva region, prices of detached houses rose sharply. Meanwhile, in Zurich and its surrounding region the opposite trend was observed.
Crowded airports expected in Switzerland this summer
This content was published on
Switzerland's main airports are preparing for a busy summer holiday period. A number of changes have been introduced to improve passenger flows that are expected to be well above average in July and August.
Zurich police arrest 38 football and hockey fans after violent incidents
This content was published on
Zurich police have investigated 48 cases of fan violence at stadiums in the Swiss city since last autumn and arrested a total of 38 people, Swiss public television, SRF, reports.
Cashflow problems affect UN Human Rights Council activities
This content was published on
Certain activities of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council cannot be carried out in 2025-2026 due of the ongoing cash crisis affecting the UN.
Plaintiffs take Khaled Nezzar case to European Court of Human Rights
This content was published on
Two plaintiffs in a serious war crimes case against former Algerian Defence Minister Khaled Nezzar have filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights.
Surveillance programme for new Covid-19 variants approved
This content was published on
The Swiss public health office has approved the establishment of a national genomic surveillance programme for new Covid-19 variants.
This content was published on
For over a year, scientists have been hunting for traces of Covid-19 in Swiss sewage, achieving several worldwide breakthroughs.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.