Many people in Switzerland are currently becoming infected with Corona again. Now Switzerland’s top cantonal doctor is reacting: Barbara Grützmacher recommends that people aged 65 and over and people with chronic illnesses be vaccinated again.
SRF News: Many people are sick in bed at the moment. What are the most common pathogens currently?
Barbara Grützmacher: There are currently a lot of viruses on the move. Patients most commonly suffer from coronaviruses, followed by rhinoviruses. The flu cases are also increasing, the wave is not yet at its peak. Anyone who wants to get vaccinated against the flu should do it now. We are also seeing increased infections with the RS virus. This leads to respiratory infections and can be particularly dangerous for small children. We will now experience this simultaneity of corona and other viruses every winter: Corona has moved from the pandemic phase to the endemic phase.
We hope that over the course of the winter we will not have a variant that leads to more severe cases.
The coronavirus has led to more people getting sick again in recent weeks. In some hospitals, masks are once again required. Is a new corona wave coming our way?
I can not say that. There are always new virus variants and sub-variants that come out and have different names. Ultimately, it is not relevant what name the current variant has, but only whether it leads to more clinically serious courses. This is currently not the case. We are monitoring the situation closely and hope that we will not have a variant that leads to more severe cases over the course of the winter.
Legend:
Long live vaccination: A child’s drawing in a doctor’s office that advertises the corona vaccination.
KEYSTONE/Valentin Flauraud
Many people are infected with Corona, but it rarely leads to severe disease?
This is only partially true for people who are particularly at risk: we see that they are currently going to hospital more often. So far the hospitals have been able to deal with it well; they are not yet overloaded. But we have to continue to monitor the situation here too.
Are people dying in hospitals again after a corona infection?
Yes, people with corona infections are dying in hospitals again. But fortunately not many. This is why vaccinations are so important for these particularly vulnerable people.
The Federal Vaccination Commission recommends the booster for risk groups. Should everyone over 65 and people with risk factors get vaccinated again?
The recommendation currently applies to risk groups to get vaccinated. With the virus that is currently circulating, you are at greater risk of suffering a severe course.
Are too few people in the risk group vaccinated?
Yes.
The coronavirus is still here
What is the reason?
I believe there are several reasons. Many people are fed up with Corona. At the moment, infection does not seem threatening, only a few have to go to hospital. In addition, in some cantons family doctors only give the flu vaccination, but not the corona vaccination. They send the patients to the pharmacy for this. This is complicated. I think we should keep the hurdle as low as possible.
If a lot of people generally get vaccinated before the end of the year, then that would definitely have added value.
What do you demand as the new top cantonal doctor?
I would like more people to get vaccinated. And if more family doctors were to vaccinate and pharmacies continued to offer vaccinations, then that would help. If a lot of people generally get vaccinated before the end of the year, then that would definitely have added value.
The interview was conducted by David Karasek.