Increasing number of hospitalizations, the Delta variant dominates

During the week of July 26 to August 1, the amount of hospitalizations due to the coronavirus has increased, whereas the level of deaths remains low. This is stated in the weekly report of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

A total of 5,243 cases were declared in Switzerland and Liechtenstein for the week under review, a slight increase (+5.8%) compared with the previous week (4,954). The Delta variant now accounts for 96% of the cases.

The rate of cases varied between 18 (AR) and 159 (GE) cases per week per 100’000 inhabitants. In Ticino the figure is 59.2/100’000, similar to that recorded by the Grisons: 59.8/100’000.

The number of hospitalizations has been 91, compared to 63 of the previous week. The average number of persons in intensive care rose from 32 to 39. The number of deaths, by contrast, rose from four on the previous seven days to ten, which is considered by FOPH professionals to be a low level.

In the week under review, 143,726 tests were reported, 11% less than in the previous week (160,806). The proportion of positive PCR tests increased to 7.4% from 6.1% in the previous week. The % of positive fast antigen tests increased from 1.2% to 1.4%.

Vaccine protection

Of those totally vaccinated, a total of 460 cases were reported as of January 27, 2021, of which 96 had to be hospitalized and 19 died. By way of comparison, a total of 203,423 cases were declared during the same period.

Considering all the available data, the number of cases among the fully vaccinated is therefore very low, the FOPH emphasizes. According to studies, the effectiveness of the two vaccines in Switzerland is around 94-95%.