- After the corona tests began, Switzerland should examine methods for the future surveillance of infectious diseases.
- This is what the Covid-19 scientific advisory board calls for. The step is necessary due to the continued high burden on the health system.
- The body has been advising the federal government since autumn, after the dissolution of the Covid-19 Science Task Force at the end of March.
“The cases of monkeypox and hepatitis in 2022 have shown that an ongoing overview of circulating pathogens is valuable,” the scientific advisory panel wrote in a report. It is important to find out promptly whether new infections and clinical pictures are caused by new properties of the virus or by changes in the immune system, the environment or social behavior.
Again, other respiratory diseases are increasing
With the increased immunity in the population, the burden on the healthcare system from Covid infections has decreased significantly. According to the report, 98 percent of Swiss people currently have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 due to vaccinations or infections.
However, other respiratory pathogens (especially RSV, influenza, pneumococci, H. influenzae and group A streptococci) are increasingly infecting people again after their circulation was inhibited by the corona measures. Hospitals as well as family doctor and pediatrician practices are therefore still heavily burdened.
Test numbers collapsed
Since January 1, 2023, the federal government has no longer covered the costs of corona tests. Since the number of tests subsequently collapsed, this monitoring tool is largely eliminated. However, such monitoring is crucial, according to the panel.
Due to the ongoing uncertainties, now is the right time to review which methods Switzerland would like to use to monitor infectious diseases in the future. “Depending on how this question is answered, the social, medical and political handling of these pathogens can change accordingly,” the report said.