Covid-19 tests: Strong increase in positive pools identified after summer holidays

The testing performed at schools and health facilities through the Hirslanden Group’s “TOGETHER WE TEST” platform was resumed on 16 August 2021. In the meantime, the first week of school has also come to an end in further major cantons with which we have contracts. A comparison of the positivity rates of the analysed pools (bulk samples) within the scope of the repeat testing before and after the summer holidays reveals a strong increase: 

Important prioritisation of schools

Currently over 90% of analysed tests are attributable to schools. In line with this, the increase in the positivity rate relates to an age group where the majority cannot yet be vaccinated. “For this reason, repeat testing in addition to the well-known protective measures take on great importance for the population of Switzerland. Targeted measures can be deployed to prevent virus hot spots from forming in schools, from where the virus reaches parents, grandparents and the extended family and circle of friends”, says Daniel Liedtke, CEO of the Hirslanden Group. Testing by means of pooled PRC saliva tests forms an important basis for the monitoring of the Covid-19 virus, which is essential specifically in the current situation. For this reason, the resumption of testing in companies this week also plays an important role – here, too, there is great demand.

“TOGETHER WE TEST” platform

With the “TOGETHER WE TEST” platform, the Hirslanden Group offers the possibility of performing repeat tests at schools, health facilities and in companies. Nine cantons are currently working with the solution; just under 5,400 companies are registered at present (before the summer holidays there were 4,600). Some 810,000 tests kits have been ordered since the interruption to testing came to an end on 6 August 2021 – beforehand, orders came to 1.6 million kits in just under four months. In total, 220,836 pool samples have been analysed since the beginning of the project. 

About Hirslanden

The Hirslanden Group operates 17 hospitals in 10 cantons, many of which have an emergency department. It also operates 4 outpatient surgical units, 17 radiology institutes and 5 radiotherapy institutes. Together with public and private cooperation partners, Hirslanden focuses on the continuum of care and promoting high-quality, responsible, personalised and efficiently integrated healthcare – this explicitly includes, especially in the current situation, prevention in addition to acute treatment in hospitals.

The Hirslanden Group has 2 314 partner doctors and 10 711 employees, 479 of whom are permanently employed doctors. Hirslanden is the largest medical network in Switzerland. In the 2020/21 financial year, the Group generated turnover of CHF 1 796 million (incl. CHF 12.6 Mio. cantonal COVID-19 compensations). As at 31.3.2021, the Group had treated 107 401 patients, amounting to a total of 461 004 inpatient days. In insurance terms, the patient mix consists of 51% basic, 28.8% semi-private, and 20.2% private insured patients.

Hirslanden is synonymous with first-class medical care provided by highly qualified medical specialists with many years of experience. As a system provider, the Group stands out from the rest of the market: interdisciplinary medical centres of expertise and specialised institutes enable it to offer the best possible individualised treatment, even in highly complex cases. The Hirslanden Group was formed in 1990 through the merger of several hospitals. Since 2007, it has been part of the international hospital group Mediclinic International plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.