COVID-19 Symptoms and Testing in the Swiss General Population: A Cross-Sectional Survey

We estimated the incidence of COVID-19-compatible symptoms, COVID-19 testing, and GP consultations during the first lockdown period in Switzerland (March–April 2020). A representative sample of the adult Swiss population completed an online survey. Of the 1022 respondents, 74 % reported at least one symptom, 5 % were tested for COVID-19, and 8 % contacted their GP regarding COVID-19. Testing was significantly associated with reduced sense of taste/smell, fever, cough with expectoration, and fatigue. Respondents at risk for severe COVID-19 were less likely to be tested but were five times more likely to contact their GP than those not at risk. We highlight the need to involve the appropriate health care setting to reach the vulnerable population when testing capacities are restricted (e.g. GPs).

Prevalence of atrial fibrillation

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and is associated with increased morbi-mortality. The prevalence of AF in the Western world is increasing; however, reports on the prevalence of AF in the past decade are scarce, and whether the prevalence of AF increased during the last decade in Switzerland remains uncertain. Therefore, using data from a Swiss population-based sample, we aimed to assess the point prevalence of AF from 2014 to 2017 and to investigate determinants of AF. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of 4616 Caucasian participants aged 45–86 years (55% women) from a population-based sample was designed to explore the point prevalence and determinants of cardiovascular risk factors in the population of Lausanne, Switzerland. AF was assessed using electrocardiography (ECG) between 2014 and 2017. Results Overall, the point prevalence of AF was 0.9% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.7–1.2%) and the combined AF + atrial flutter (AFL) point prevalence was 1.1% (95% CI: 8.4–1.5%). The point prevalence of AF was higher among men (81% vs. 19% in women) and increased with age, reaching 3.1% in participants aged ≥ 80. In multivariable analysis, male gender (odds ratio and 95% CI: 4.98 [1.01–24.6]) and increasing age (2.86 [1.40–5.87] per decade) were associated with AF. Conclusion The point prevalence of AF and of AF + AFL, assessed between 2014 and 2017 in the city of Lausanne (Switzerland), was low but increased with age and in men.

Science-related populism declining during the COVID-19 pandemic: A panel survey of the Swiss population before and after the Coronavirus outbreak

In many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased public support for societal institutions including science, a phenomenon described as “rally-round-the-flag” dynamic. However, it is unclear if this dynamic has also reduced public resentment toward science such as science-related populist attitudes, that is, the preference of people’s common sense over allegedly elitist scientific knowledge. We test this, relying on individual-level data from panel surveys before and during the pandemic in Switzerland. Results show that science-related populist attitudes decreased after the pandemic started. The decrease was more pronounced among people who had been strong supporters of science-related populism prior to the pandemic, but otherwise spread equally across different sociodemographic and attitudinal segments of the Swiss population. This shows that the Coronavirus outbreak has the potential to undermine persistent (populist) resentments toward science and its epistemology among the general population.

Assessing relative COVID-19 mortality during the second wave: a prospective Swiss population-based study

ObjectiveDuring the first COVID-19 wave in Switzerland, relative mortality was at least eight times higher compared with the uninfected general population. We aimed to assess sex-specific and age-specific relative mortality associated with a SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis during the second wave.DesignProspective population-based study.SettingIndividuals testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 after the start of the second wave on 1 October 2020 were followed up until death or administrative censoring on 31 December 2020.Participants5 179 740 inhabitants of Switzerland in fall 2018 aged 35–95 years (without COVID-19) and 257 288 persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR or antigen testing during the second wave.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe planned outcome measure was time to death from any cause, measured from the date of a SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis or 1 October in the general population. Information on confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diagnoses and deaths was matched by calendar time with the all-cause mortality of the general Swiss population of 2018. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate sex-specific and age-specific mortality rates and probabilities of death within 60 days.ResultsThe risk of death for individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the second wave in Switzerland increased at least sixfold compared with the general population. HRs, reflecting the risk attributable to a SARS-CoV-2 infection, were higher for men (1.40, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.52) and increased for each additional year of age (1.01, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02). COVID-19 mortality was reduced by at least 20% compared with the first wave in spring 2020.ConclusionGeneral mortality patterns, increased for men and older persons, were similar in spring and in fall. Absolute and relative COVID-19 mortality was smaller in fall.Trial registrationThe protocol for this study was registered on 3 December 2020 at https://osf.io/gbd6r.

Prevalence of large vessel vasculitis in ANCA-associated vasculitis: a retrospective cohort study

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in general involves small blood vessels and includes granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Although reported in a few studies, the prevalence of large vessel vasculitis (LVV) in patients with AAV remains to be further explored. The goal of the present study was to assess the prevalence of LVV in a cohort of patients with AAV and to characterize this population. We conducted a ten-year retrospective study of a single-center cohort of AAV, including 101 patients with GPA (n = 58), EGPA (n = 28), MPA (n = 15), and compared the groups with or without associated LVV. LVV was diagnosed in five patients, two with aortitis and three with temporal arteritis, corresponding to a total prevalence of 5.0% [95% CI 1.6–11.2%]. This value was significantly higher than the estimated prevalence of LVV in the normal Swiss population (OR 234.9 95% CI 91.18–605.2, p < 0.001). All five patients had GPA, whereas no cases with EGPA or MPA were identified. Anti-PR3 antibodies were detected in four out of five patients, anti-MPO in one patient. Since LVV can occur in a significant proportion of patients with GPA, evaluation for LVV may be considered systematically in the diagnostic workup of AAV.

SwissCovid in the Perspective of its Goals

SwissCovid is the Swiss digital contact tracing app which was deployed to help fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. Its development was arbitrated by Apple and Google who made their technology de facto unavoidable. After a year of activity, it is high time to evaluate how effective it has been in its mission. Nearly 21% of the Swiss population is actively using SwissCovid. The activity of SwissCovid follows the curve on the number of COVID-19 cases. However, performances are rather poor. About 1% of the cases are discovered by SwissCovid and much less than 2% of SwissCovid alerts are useful while SwissCovid generates 5% of the quarantines. Distances in proximity are loosely measured and durations of encounters are also imprecise. It further comes with security and privacy issues: adversaries can inject false alerts for SwissCovid users and users can be tracked. On top of that, SwissCovid contributes to strengthen the monopoly of Apple and Google and to make users and their data captive of these giants. It also digs the digital divide. Contrarily to the original plan, the implementation is not open source and the law was twisted to fit the constraints by Apple and Google. Therefore, SwissCovid did not meet its goals.

L'harmonisation des lois cantonales d'aide sociale - Une analyse des obligations internationales des droits humaines

The federal constitution gives the Swiss cantons a great deal of freedom to regulate their social welfare systems. There are still great differences in this area. People living in Switzerland, depending on their place of residence, do not all have access to the same benefits and therefore do not enjoy the same protection against poverty. This phenomenon has a significant impact on the enjoyment of human rights, which are the subject of international conventions ratified by Switzerland and which must be implemented throughout the country. In this context, this book examines whether these international guarantees require a harmonization of cantonal social welfare laws. In the light of the recent global pandemic of COVID-19, which does not stop at the cantonal borders and which severely affects the precarious populations of Switzerland, this question is very topical. The author responds to this question by demonstrating, according to several legal criteria, different concrete obligations of harmonization. This approach makes it possible to move towards a global response to a problem that affects and will affect in the future many individuals of the Swiss population, regardless of where they live: poverty. This doctoral thesis was defended on September 7, 2020 at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lausanne. The jury, composed of Professor Evelyne Schmid (thesis director), Professor Pascal Mahon, Professor Kurt Pärli, Professor Véronique Boillet and Professor Vincent Martenet, admitted this thesis with magna cum laude.

Effects of Physical Activity and Mindfulness on Resilience and Depression During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic generated a significant number of stressors that the Swiss population had to deal with. In order to cope with and adapt to such adversity, it is essential to have protective factors that allow for resilience. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of mindfulness and physical activity on depression and resilience during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A quantitative method was adopted asking participants who were engaged in physical activity or mindfulness to fill a battery of measures of depression and resilience and some demographic questions. The results showed that mindfulness practice strengthened the initial level of resilience of practitioners, suggesting that mindfulness meditation is a tool for coping with adversity during a potentially traumatic event. Conversely, physical activity practitioners maintained a stable resilience score over time, suggesting that exposure to adversity did not disrupt their state of biopsychospiritual homeostasis. Moreover, being physically active decreased the depression score over time. Regarding demographic variables, gender differences were observed in the average scores in the resilience scale and in the Depression Inventory.