COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland: on the importance of testing, contact tracing and isolation.

Salathé, Marcel; Althaus, Christian L; Neher, Richard; Stringhini, Silvia; Hodcroft, Emma; Fellay, Jacques; Zwahlen, Marcel; Senti, Gabriela; Battegay, Manuel; Wilder-Smith, Annelies; Eckerle, Isabella; Egger, Matthias; Low, Nicola (2020). COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland: on the importance of testing, contact tracing and isolation. Swiss medical weekly, 150, w20225. EMH Media 10.4414/smw.2020.20225

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Switzerland is among the countries with the highest number of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases per capita in the world. There are likely many people with undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection because testing efforts are currently not detecting all infected people, including some with clinical disease compatible with COVID-19. Testing on its own will not stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Testing is part of a strategy. The World Health Organization recommends a combination of measures: rapid diagnosis and immediate isolation of cases, rigorous tracking and precautionary self-isolation of close contacts. In this article, we explain why the testing strategy in Switzerland should be strengthened urgently, as a core component of a combination approach to control COVID-19.

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