COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland: on the importance of testing, contact tracing and isolation
Marcel Salathéa, Christian Lorenz Althausb, Richard A. Neherc d, Silvia Stringhinie, Emma B. Hodcroftc, Jacques Fellayf, Marcel Zwahlenb d, Gabriela Sentig, Manuel Battegayh, Annelies Wilder‐Smithd i j, Isabella Eckerlej, Matthias Eggerb, Nicola N Lowb
- aEPFL, Switzerland
- bUniversity of Bern, Switzerland
- cUniversity of Basel, Switzerland
- dInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
- eHUG/UNIGE/UNIL, Switzerland
- fCHUV/UNIL/EPFL, Switzerland
- gUniversity Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
- hUniversity Hospital Basel, Switzerland
- iLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- jHCUGE, Switzerland
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Abstract
Switzerland is among the countries with the highest number of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases per capita in the world. There are likely many people with undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection because testing efforts are currently not detecting all infected people, including some with clinical disease compatible with COVID-19. Testing on its own will not stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Testing is part of a strategy. The World Health Organization recommends a combination of measures: rapid diagnosis and immediate isolation of cases, rigorous tracking and precautionary self-isolation of close contacts. In this article, we explain why the testing strategy in Switzerland should be strengthened urgently, as a core component of a combination approach to control COVID-19.