How has the COVID19 pandemic evolved? Let’s talk about:

HOW HAS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC EVOLVED?

Text: Malika Sachdeva | swimsa COVID-19 coordinator

It has now been almost 2 years since the first COVID19 cases were recorded and to date, globally, more than 219 million people have been infected, and 4.55 million have passed away as a result. In Switzerland, the case rates have currently decreased since the start of September, after a summer surge, with 800 to 900 newly recorded infections daily. According to the Swiss National Taskforce, 99.9% of current cases in Switzerland are of the Delta variant, replacing previous variants over the summer.

In April 2021, swimsa along with asep (Swiss pharmaceutical students’ association) collaborated to conduct a survey on the perspective of healthcare students (including medical, pharmaceutical and nursing students) on the COVID19 vaccine. The results generally showed a positive perception towards the COVID19 vaccines, with about 70% of students intending to be vaccinated. Several students also expressed their and their entourage’s concerns about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, with the biggest concerns being potential sideeffects that may appear in the long run and reduced efficacy with newer strains. A significant number of students were also concerned about the lack of sufficient evidence that highlighted the vaccines’ effectiveness as well as the speed at which they were developed.

Since then, vaccination rates have increased with about 65% of the population in Switzerland vaccinated with at least 1 dose (as of the 14th of October 2021).

The past year has undoubtedly seen major advancements in terms of the development of the vaccine. The Swiss vaccine rollout began in early January with the elderly population and those

share of vaccinated people 80%

60%

40%

20%

21.12.20 01.03.21 01.06.21 01.09.21 10.11.21

Vaccination status against COVID-19 in Switzerland. Dark green denotes fully vaccinated; light green denotes partially vaccinated. Source: Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)

with comorbidities being prioritized. Since August, those older than 12 years of age are eligible to receive the vaccine. Most universities have transitioned from online learning to inperson teachings, with mandatory COVID19 certificates being adopted. As a result, a sense of normalcy has largely returned as we continue to coexist with the virus.

So what do the coming months hold for us? While we do have reasons to be optimistic about, we equally need to be aware that the pandemic is not over yet and hold on to some caution, for example, by wearing masks in higherrisk settings, getting tested if we have any symptoms and of course by getting vaccinated or encouraging others to do so.

Globally we continue to see outbreaks even in countries with higher vaccination rates, like the UK and Israel. Therefore, a seasonal winter surge seems plausible. While the mRNA vaccines that are being administered in Switzerland (Pfizer/ BioNTech and Moderna) remain largely effective at preventing serious illness and death against the Delta variant, the emergence of newer variants remains a wildcard. Each new infection gives the virus a new chance to mutate, giving rise to a potentially advantageous mutation that is more transmissible or virulent.

According to the Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity, 62% of people in highincome countries have received at least one dose of the vaccine compared to a meagre 3.88% in lowincome countries. This staggering disparity has left populations in these countries more vulnerable to the disease, as well as to possibility of newer variants emerging with increased circulation. While the World Health Organisation has set a goal of a 70% vaccination rate globally by mid2022, vaccine inequities, both between and within countries, need to be overcome to ensure that such is achieved.

References: • Federal Office of Public Health: https://www.covid19.admin.ch/en/vaccination/persons • Swissinfo: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/covid19_coronavirusthesituationinswitzerland/45592192 • The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/health/coronavirusdeltasurge. html • The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/12/health/coronavirusmutationvariants.html • United Nations Development Programme: https://data.undp.org/vaccineequity/ • The New York Times: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/09/1100192 • United Nations: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/18/anotherwinterofcovid