by © Jan Gajdosik | Dreamstime.com The Swiss authorities should have been more open about what they did and didn’t know about the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the early stages, according to Bertrand Kiefer, doctor, ethicist and editor of the Swiss Medical Review. Speaking to RTS, Kiefer said he believes the public should be treated like adults. ...
Topics:
Investec considers the following as important: 3) Swiss Markets and News, 3.) Health, Bertrand Kiefer, Coronavirus Switzerland, Covid-19 Switzerland, Editor's Choice, Featured, health, newsletter, SARS-CoV-2 Switzerland
This could be interesting, too:
Marc Chandler writes Sterling and Gilts Pressed Lower by Firmer CPI
Ryan McMaken writes A Free-Market Guide to Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Wanjiru Njoya writes Post-Election Prospects for Ending DEI
Swiss Customs writes Octobre 2024 : la chimie-pharma détermine le record à l’export
© Jan Gajdosik | Dreamstime.com
The Swiss authorities should have been more open about what they did and didn’t know about the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the early stages, according to Bertrand Kiefer, doctor, ethicist and editor of the Swiss Medical Review.
Speaking to RTS, Kiefer said he believes the public should be treated like adults. A paternalistic approach to communication in such situations is ineffective, in his view. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and government trivialised and hid important information in the early weeks, he said.
On 24 February 2020, Daniel Koch, the head of communicable diseases at the FOPH, announced publicly that the mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be fairly similar to the seasonal flu, before adding that there was uncertainty around the estimation. In an internal memo of the same date, Koch wrote that the virus is not going to spread as easily as the flu.
These statements contrast starkly with other information available at the time. Seasonal flu has an estimated mortality rate of around 0.13%. However, a preliminary study published on The Lancet on 24 January 2020, included an early mortality rate estimate of 3% for SARS-CoV-2. On 29 January 2020, the WHO mentioned 2% as a mortality rate estimate in a press conference. Then on 4 February 2020, the Chinese government announced an estimated mortality rate of 2%.
We now know that if asymptomatic and very mild cases are included these rates fall, as large population-wide antibody studies in New York City (1.4%) and Spain (1.2%) suggest.
Bertrand Kiefer points out how the Swiss authorities failed to communicate the high degree of uncertainty surrounding the understanding of the disease. He thinks earlier communication around this and the potential risks posed would have helped to get the public up to speed with what might happen.
If more information, including the fact that the authorities were dealing with high levels of uncertainty, had been shared with the population, it would have been easier to shift people’s behaviour sooner, days, perhaps even a week earlier, said Kiefer.
Laurent Kaiser, the head of infectious diseases at Geneva’s HUG hospital, was highlighted as someone who was open about the situation and spelt out the risks and high levels of uncertainty around the disease. He expressed this in interviews with the media at the time.
Trying to avoid public fear by conveying comforting but premature conclusions in the face of high uncertainty can easily backfire. High uncertainty increases the risk of being wrong, something which can undermine trust.
In addition, the emotional whiplash that comes from a message quickly shifting from, everything is fine to its actually quite deadly and we don’t know who’s infected, can induce far greater fear than openly declaring up front that you don’t yet know.
You Might Also Like
Coronavirus: WHO changes advice on masks
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently changed its advice on face masks. It now recommends healthy people wear them in public when social distancing is not possible, stating that they could provide a barrier for potentially infectious droplets.
Coronavirus: cheap drug substantially cuts severe case death risk, according to large UK trial
A trial at Oxford University suggests an existing low cost drug can cut the risk of death from Covid-19 substantially. Tests involving 6,000 hospitalised Covid-19 patients suggest the drug can cut the risk of death for those on ventilators from 40% to 28%. For patients needing oxygen the risk of death could be cut from 25% to 20%.
Coronavirus: the rising number of mild cases with symptoms lasting months
Those with mild Covid-19 symptoms are supposed to recover after two weeks. However, a rising number of relatively young people with mild cases report symptoms months later. Johns Hopkins Medicine says that those with mild cases of COVID-19 appear to recover within one to two weeks. For severe cases, recovery may take six weeks or more.
Coronavirus: latest antibody study suggests 10.8 percent of Geneva infected in first wave
A recently published update to the ongoing study in Geneva to assess the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection suggests 10.8% of the population may have been infected in the first wave of infections. The study, which tests a sample of the population over time for IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, started in early April 2020. The latest figures come from the fifth week of testing, which was concluded on 9 May 2020.
Coronavirus: 5.5 percent of Geneva might be infected, according to antibody study
A study done by researchers at Geneva’s HUG hospital suggests a Covid-19 infection rate of 5.5% across the canton of Geneva. Antibody blood tests, run on a randomly selected sample of the canton’s population, suggest around 27,000 might have been infected by the virus, a number 5.7 times the official count of 4,733 recorded on 24 April 2020.
Swiss government reveals more on Covid-19 tracing app
On 13 May 2020, Switzerland’s government published more information on the Swiss Proximity Tracing App (Swiss PT), an app designed to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Developed by teams at EPFL and ETHZ, the app uses Bluetooth to detect when your phone comes within two metres of another phone or device with the app. It then records the contact as an anonymous key and the duration of contact, flagging any close contact longer than 15 minutes.
Coronavirus: number of tests stagnates in Switzerland
The number of daily new cases has remained low in Switzerland throughout May. The highest number of new cases over this period was recorded on 1 May (119). The latest daily number, published on 29 May, was 31 new daily cases. Since the beginning of May the number has been as low as 10.
Coronavirus: Switzerland to reopen borders with EU, EFTA and UK on 15 June
Switzerland recently announced that it will lift existing entry restrictions with all EU and EFTA nations and the UK on 15 June 2020. In mid-May the Swiss government announced plans to fully reopen borders with France, Germany and Austria. On 2 June 2020, it decided to hold off on a full reopening of borders with Italy despite Italy’s decision to fully reopen its borders with Switzerland on 3 June 2020.
Tags: Bertrand Kiefer,Coronavirus Switzerland,Covid-19 Switzerland,Editor's Choice,Featured,Health,newsletter,SARS-CoV-2 Switzerland