Intensive care beds could run out in a week, study predicts
A nurse at the University Hospital of Geneva explains how an intensive care bed works
Keystone
Switzerland will run out of intensive care beds on April 2 owing to the progression of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich). Up to 1,000 additional beds may be needed throughout the country, it says.
Taking into account the current number of beds in intensive care units, estimated at 979, and the number of deaths linked to Covid-19, “our latest report suggests that the system is close to saturation, based on the available data”, said Thomas Van BoeckelExternal link from the department of environmental systems science at ETH Zurich and co-author of the report.
More
More
Swiss hospitals to take French coronavirus patients
This content was published on
Two hospitals in Basel and one in Jura, in northwestern Switzerland, said they would each take two French patients after the Alsace authorities sent out a distress call for help. The French region has been particularly badly hit following contagion among a large church service last month. Hospitals in Germany are also providing help along…
In addition to canton Ticino, bed capacity may already be exceeded in the cantons of Vaud, Geneva, Valais and Graubünden, he said on Friday in an interviewExternal link with La Liberté and partner newspapers. “According to our models, we will reach a [wider] shortage on April 2.”
From this date, if no action is taken, 86 beds could be lacking in Zurich, he said. “Shortages would also be felt in Bern and Solothurn. The situation could get much worse in Valais with more than 250 excess cases,” – or 1,000 in the whole of Switzerland, he added.
Van Boeckel stressed that this is an estimate, which is not based on the data that hospitals have been required to submit to the government since March 13.
The beds still available in the north, centre and east of Switzerland, as well as in the large hospitals in cities, could partially absorb the surplus of patients from cantons Vaud and Ticino, he reckoned.
Almost 200 deaths
The ETH Zurich researchers reconstructed the probable acute cases of Covid-19 to be expected, based on data from the Swiss Society of Intensive Care Medicine, the number of deaths in canton Zurich and figures from www.corona-data.ch and by using differential equation models.
As of March 27, almost 12,000 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in Switzerland and almost 200 people had died.
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.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Uri voters clear path for hotel and marina complex in central Switzerland
This content was published on
Voters in canton Uri in central Switzerland have rejected a Green Party initiative aimed at regulating the development of the lakeside site in Isleten.
Valais voters reject plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland have turned down a proposal for the region to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
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
Swiss hospitals to take French coronavirus patients
This content was published on
Two hospitals in Basel and one in Jura, in northwestern Switzerland, said they would each take two French patients after the Alsace authorities sent out a distress call for help. The French region has been particularly badly hit following contagion among a large church service last month. Hospitals in Germany are also providing help along…
Who decides who gets access to the silver bullet to Covid-19?
This content was published on
Our regular analysis of what the biggest global companies in Switzerland are up to. This week: multinationals confront national interests.
Chasing the numbers behind the virus in Switzerland
This content was published on
For those not on the frontline, the fight to rein in the spread of the coronavirus often boils down to watching an unfolding data game.
Swiss restrict exports of protective equipment as coronavirus hits
This content was published on
Switzerland has introduced temporary restrictions on the export of protective equipment to head off shortages among medical staff and others.
This content was published on
As money is poured into the search for a silver bullet to Covid-19, some experts warn that the pandemic could also worsen the antibiotics crisis.
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.