Increased testing volume, positivity rate of tested pools remains at a hight level

The repetitive tests show an increase in volume in the nine contract cantons of TOGETHER WE TEST compared to the weeks before the summer holidays. The positivity rate of the pools analysed (bulk samples) was also at a high level last week. Currently, about 89% of the samples are from schools.

*Broken down by calendar week: week 33 1.7%, week 34 2.3%, week 35 2.4%.

250'000 pools analysed

Today, the threshold of 250'000 pools analysed since the beginning of "TOGETHER WE TEST" will be reached. Currently, around 5,700 businesses and schools are registered on the platform. Figures updated on a weekly basis can be found at www.hirslanden.ch/twt. 

Fivefold increase in hospitalisations

The increased spread of the virus is also reflected in the occupancy rate of Hirslanden hospitals. Compared to the period before the summer holidays, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased fivefold. Currently, the average occupancy rate in the 17 hospitals operated by the Hirslanden Group in ten cantons is 50 COVID-19 patients. In the period before the holidays, the figure was 10 patients. 

The proportion of COVID-19 intensive care patients is consistent with previous waves at 40 to 50%. What is striking, however, is the proportion of ventilated patients, which has risen to 80%.

“All these figures illustrate the importance of vaccination and the protective measures in place and underline the need for maintaining a high testing frequency. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the people who have put in an enormous amount of effort in dealing with the pandemic. All our health professionals in the intensive care and regular wards, the TOGETHER WE TEST team and all external partners have been doing incredibly valuable work for months. Many, many thanks,” says Daniel Liedtke, CEO of the Hirslanden Group. 

Increased interest in vaccinations

In the vaccination centres currently still operated by the Hirslanden Group, there has been a gratifying increase in the number of vaccinations. Thus, in the Weinfelden and Baar vaccination centres (in collaboration with the Zug Cantonal Hospital), a total of 12'463 first vaccinations have been administered in the three weeks since the start of school. Compared to the period before the holidays, this equates to an increase of around 10% (total of 11,377 first vaccinations in calendar weeks 25–27).

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.