2024-03-01 22:29:28
Children often had to receive medical treatment in Swiss hospitals this winter. (symbol image)
Imago
Swiss children’s hospitals are often reaching their capacity limits this winter. Sometimes patients also have to be transferred. Experts explain the background in an interview with blue News.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The number of respiratory infections is increasing in Switzerland.
- This winter, children’s hospitals in particular repeatedly reached their limits.
- Above all, the high number of RSV infections is causing an increasing burden.
More and more patients in Switzerland are having to be treated for pneumonia and other respiratory infections. This is shown by an evaluation by the Federal Statistical Office (BfS).
As it became known on Wednesday, the hospitals are also suffering. This means that the clinics are constantly reaching the limits of their capacity. Some patients even had to be transferred between hospitals.
A survey by blue News shows: Children’s hospitals in particular are affected by bottlenecks. Julia Bielicki, infectious disease specialist at the University Children’s Hospital in Basel, says that so far we have been able to care for all patients. “However, we have noticed frequent requests from other hospitals for transfers.” In the past three months, up to three requests have been received per week to admit children from other hospitals.
Record-breaking RSV numbers
The Inselspital Bern is also busy. “There has been an increase in pneumonia cases in the last few weeks,” says Philipp Jent, head of infection prevention. They were prepared for the usual waves of viral diseases, but: “The children’s clinic in particular was at maximum capacity at times.” However, no transfers had to be carried out.
The high number of infections with the RSV virus is primarily responsible for the sharp increase, says Jent. The number of cases “almost reached the record high level of the previous year” at times. But Covid-19 illnesses or severe flu cases can also play a role. Corona still plays a big role, says Jent – and will probably continue to do so. “We expect increased seasonal pressure in the future.”
Julia Bielicki from the University Children’s Hospital also says that in the current phase, younger patients in particular are affected by serious illnesses that require short-term intensive care. “Infections such as RSV and influenza primarily affect younger patients under the age of five, and in the case of RSV they mostly affect infants up to 12 months old,” says Bieckeli.
This is also shown by the BfS’s evaluation across the whole of Switzerland. The overlap of several waves of infection has led to acute inflammation, particularly in babies and young children, while older people and people with immunodeficiency are more prone to severe pneumonia.
However, the clinics for adults are able to cope with the seasonal rush. For example, Silvio Brugger, senior physician in the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Zurich University Hospital, says that no unusual increase in cases has been detected among adults.
To ensure that it stays that way, Brugger recommends common hygiene measures such as coughing and sneezing into a tissue and washing your hands. In addition, people at risk should be vaccinated to prevent severe disease.
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