Covid-19 science taskforce rejects accusations of alarmism

2020-11-08 02:50:41

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(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The Covid-19 science taskforce has said it stands by estimates that Switzerland's intensive care units could reach capacity if new Covid-19 infections don't drop dramatically in the next few weeks.

This content was published on November 8, 2020 - 14:49 November 8, 2020 - 14:49 Tages-Anzeiger/jdp

In an interview in the Sonntagszeitung, Sebastian Bonhoeffer, a member of the National Covid-19 Science Taskforce, said that the forecasts were not alarmist overestimates. 'If you add 100 or 200 beds to the bed capacity, it will only take a few days longer for the hospitals to reach their limits,' he said.

On October 23, Martin Ackermann, who heads the Covid-19 science taskforce, said they estimated that the capacity limit in intensive care in hospitals would be reached between end of October and November 9 if the situation didn't improve. At the time, Switzerland reported 6,634 new cases.

Bonhoeffer explains that 'the forecasts of October 23 were based on the assumption that non-emergency interventions would not be postponed'. As some hospitals have rescheduled procedures, the doubling time slowed from 7 to 8.6 days. In response to changes, the taskforce adjusted the forecasts and declared last Friday that the upper limit of 1,400 beds would be reached by November 13 to 19 if nothing is done to bring down the cases.

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