Seasonal flu continues to gain ground in Switzerland. According to the latest figures from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants more than doubled between mid and end of December.
During the last week of the year, 12.71 cases of influenza per 100,000 people were declared to the FOPH. The wave had already started three weeks ago. Mandatory declarations have increased in all age groups.
Decrease in Covid-19 cases
At the same time, the number of reported Covid-19 cases continued to decrease, from 7.74 to 5.42 cases per 100,000 people during the last three weeks of December. The Covid-19 wave appears to have passed its peak. In absolute figures, more than twice as many cases of flu as of Covid-19 were recorded during the last week of December.
These trends are also reflected in the detection of respiratory viruses, including influenza and Covid-19, in wastewater in most regions of Switzerland. 26.4% of viruses detected at the end of December were influenza viruses, 10.9% coronaviruses.
The most frequently detected SARS-CoV-2 variant in wastewater is XEC. It currently represents approximately half of the total SARS-CoV-2 viral load detected.
