Coronavirus

Seemingly less hazardous than Delta, but significantly more infectious: The spread of the omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus raises the question of whether it can push the healthcare system to its breaking point. Empa researchers have worked with partners to model scenarios for both Switzerland and Germany – and conclude that this is an unlikely course of events. Nevertheless, some risks remain.

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the University of Basel have developed a rapid test for Covid-19. Its novel functional principle promises reliable and quantifiable results concerning a patient's Covid-19 disease and its course – as well as evidence concerning other diseases and Covid variants that may be present. Before it can go into widespread use, however, it still must undergo further testing and optimisation. The researchers report on their development in the journal ACS Applied Nanomaterials.

Scientists at EPFL and the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) have found the biological mechanism behind the inflammation seen in COVID-19 infections that involve a rise in interferons in the lungs and skin.

Thanks to the high-power electron microscopes at the Dubochet Center for Imaging (DCI), EPFL scientists were able to observe the configuration of the Omicron variant’s spike protein at a near-atomic scale. This should provide fresh insight into the mechanisms the variant uses to evade vaccines and antibodies.

Three EPFL studies on the effects of Switzerland’s first COVID-19 lockdown have just been published. The research was based on a survey of Swiss residents carried out during the confinement, and illustrate how the restrictions caused higher stress levels and changed the way people view housing.

José Antonio Pérez Escobar studied who was best able to cope with the pandemic. People who are able to deal with negative emotions were particularly successful. This skill can be learned, he says.