Ending free Covid-19 tests sends ‘wrong signal’, warns top doctor
The official number of reported Covid tests in Switzerland has fallen from a peak of 100,000 a day at the height of the pandemic to around 8,000-13,000 daily tests.
Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Covid tests will no longer be reimbursed by the Swiss federal authorities for people with symptoms from January 1, 2023. This is misguided, sending the “wrong signal” this winter, says a top medical official.
This content was published on
3 minutes
RTS/Tages-Anzeiger/sb
Português
pt
Fim de testes Covid-19 gratuitos envia “sinal errado”
A new wave of coronavirus infections and hospital admissions emerged in Switzerland in September; numbers have since stabilised at a high level. A total of 18,588 new Covid cases were reported on December 6 for the previous seven-day period, down 2.5% on the previous week. Health officials nonetheless say there are a high number of unreported new infections.
The number of reported Covid tests has fallen from a peak of 100,000 a day at the height of the pandemic to around 8,000-13,000 daily tests.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives followed the Senate in agreeing to end free Covid tests from January 2023 instead of the original plan of mid-2024. The Senate had pushed for an early end after high test costs for the authorities: CHF2 billion in 2021 and CHF1.6 billion for the current year. Since the end of Covid restrictions in Switzerland and the obligation to isolate, the costly test regime has made no sense, argued a majority of parliamentarians.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Urs Karrer, chief physician for infectiology at Winterthur’s cantonal hospital and former vice-president of the Swiss national Covid science task force, says if tests are no longer free this will lead to even fewer people with symptoms getting tested.
“From a medical and epidemiological point of view, the end of the free tests comes at an unfortunate time,” he toldExternal linkTages-Anzeiger newspaper on Saturday.
Three respiratory viruses are circulating in Switzerland, which are putting a strain on the healthcare system: the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which primarily affects children, influenza and coronavirus.
“The hospitals are already struggling due to the long-term staff shortages,” said Karrer, adding that ending the previous test regime in winter would send the “wrong signal”.
More
More
Covid: More than 30% of Swiss remain unvaccinated
This content was published on
Almost a month after the start of the campaign for the second booster vaccination only 6% of the population have made use of the offer.
In the future, health insurance will cover test costs in individual cases, such as when a positive test leads to medical treatment. This is likely to be the case most of the time when a sick person is admitted to hospital.
Meanwhile, the Federal Office of Public Health says it will rely mainly on wastewater monitoring to keep an eye on the evolution of Covid.
“The virus is circulating a lot, it is even increasing a little,” Manuel Schibler, head of the virology laboratory at the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) toldExternal link Swiss public TV, RTS. “The amount of virus analysed in the wastewater, in the sewers, allows us to say that. It is the best indicator we currently have.”
The authorities lifted the last Covid prevention measures on April 1. Masks are no longer required on public transport, and there is no more five-day isolation requirement for positive cases. Health-related restrictions for incoming travellers were lifted in February.
More
More
‘Sewage doesn’t lie’ when tracking Covid-19
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.
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?
Prevention and tech could help save billions on Swiss healthcare costs, says Deloitte
This content was published on
By focusing on prevention and technology, it would be possible to reduce Switzerland's healthcare bill by CHF30 billion a year by 2040, according to Deloitte Switzerland.
Environment director warns of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland
This content was published on
The director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has warned of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland in an interview with SonntagsBlick on Sunday.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
This content was published on
The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
Covid-19 booster shots available to Swiss residents
This content was published on
The authorities recommend that people aged over 16, especially the most vulnerable, get a booster shot to contain a new wave of infections.
Swiss government recommends Covid booster from mid-October
This content was published on
The Swiss authorities have recommended that people aged over 16, especially the most vulnerable, get a Covid-19 booster shot.
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.