Head of Covid-19 task force says distancing measures could last another two years
“We may have to live like this for another two years or more,” Egger told the NZZ am Sonntag of measures like social distancing aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19.
Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle
Unexpected discoveries about a virus scientists still don't know well could slow down the development of a safe and effective vaccine, Matthias Egger said in an interview published on Sunday.
This content was published on
3 minutes
NZZ am Sonntag/Keystone-SDA/gw
Egger, who leads the scientific task force set up by the Swiss government to coordinate advice and research on the virus, told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper he hoped large-scale vaccinations could take place in the context of studies in a year’s time.
But until doctors have all the answers to the virus, measures like social distancing should continue in a bid to keep the reproductive rate or R0 factor (the estimated number of new infections caused by a single case) below one – and thus slow the spread of the virus.
“We may have to live like this for another two years or more,” he said.
His views were echoed by Didier Pittet, head of the infection control programme at Geneva University Hospital.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Pittet told the newspaper Le Matin Dimanche that Switzerland has managed to lower its R0 factor from a high of 3.8 at the start of the outbreak to 0.6, following lockdown measures.
To prevent another spike, he said social distancing, good hand-washing and wearing masks in certain situations may be necessary in the long term.
Low risk of children infecting others
Asked whether children can spread the virus, Egger said that, looking at data on cases worldwide, “children do not play a major role in the spread of the virus”.
“But there is never any absolute certainty.”
As for people over 65 hugging their grandchildren, as the government delegate on the Covid-19 pandemic, Daniel Koch, said it was safe to do: “As a father, I say I would make sure that the children don’t spend too much with [their grandparents].”
“If the grandparents are frail, the distance should be kept,” the epidemiologist cautioned. “So no hugs.”
Re-opening schools “carefully is the right thing to do,” he added. “Since kids are likely to be bad carriers [of the virus], the risk of them infecting someone is small.”
The professor of public health at the University of Bern revealed that the federal government has not heeded all of the recommendations of the independent task force. It had proposed a gradual return to schools, first with a maximum of 15 pupils per class.
The government did not take this onboard, although some cantons are following the task force’s proposal as they prepare to re-open compulsory schools on May 11.
Egger did not believe that politics had taken precedence over science when it came to easing lockdown measures in Switzerland.
“But it is clear that economic interests play a role in these decisions,” he said. “The social consequences of a lockdown also have to be taken into account, and not just the protection of public health.”
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?
This content was published on
Swiss companies are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals. In the past quarter, every single company in this country was the target of a cyber attack an average of 1097 times a week.
Swiss households faced 21 minutes of power outages in 2024
This content was published on
End customers experienced an average of 21 minutes of electricity interruption in 2024. This resulted in 0.34 power outages per capita. The duration of electricity interruptions increased by three minutes compared to the previous year.
Swiss citizens will be voting on restricting wind farm expansion
This content was published on
On Friday, the Association for the Protection of Nature and Democracy submitted two initiatives aimed at curbing the expansion of wind farms. More than 110,000 signatures have been collected.
E-bike riders regularly break speed limit in residential areas
This content was published on
Fast e-bikes regularly exceed the speed limit in residential areas. According to a new study with data on cyclists in Zurich, they regularly reach speeds of over 30 km/h.
This content was published on
Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to find staff, a problem made more acute by the increased bargaining power of employees and increased absenteeism.
Switzerland very close to tariff deal with the US, says Roche CEO
This content was published on
An understanding between Berne and Washington in the dispute over customs barriers is close: Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker is convinced of this.
This content was published on
Late on Thursday in Geneva, pro-Palestinian demonstrators attacked the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations in the international organisations district. They poured red paint over the entrance to the building.
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.
Read more
More
Fears raised over plans to re-open schools amid coronavirus pandemic
This content was published on
Switzerland’s compulsory schools are set to re-open next month after a coronavirus lockdown, but not everyone is happy about it.
True or False: Children are not the drivers of the coronavirus pandemic
This content was published on
The claim by Switzerland’s head of infectious diseases has not stopped many parents from worrying about sending their children back to school.
This content was published on
After years as a Red Cross doctor in war zones, Daniel Koch has become the face of the Swiss government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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.