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Original article

Vol. 151 No. 3536 (2021)

Interseasonal RSV infections in Switzerland – rapid establishment of a clinician-led national reporting system (RSV EpiCH)

  • Alix L. von Hammerstein
  • Christoph Aebi
  • Florence Barbey
  • Christoph Berger
  • Michael Buettcher
  • Carmen Casaulta
  • Adrian Egli
  • Mathias Gebauer
  • Beatrice Guerra
  • Christian Kahlert
  • Eva Kellner
  • Lisa Kottanattu
  • Onya Opota
  • Christian Mann
  • Patrick Meyer Sauteur
  • Margherita Plebani
  • Nicole Ritz
  • Chiara Testi
  • Valentin von Niederhäusern
  • Noemie Wagner
  • Petra Zimmermann
  • Franziska Zucol
  • Philipp K. A. Agyeman
  • Johannes Trück
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4414/SMW.2021.w30057
Cite this as:
Swiss Med Wkly. 2021;151:w30057
Published
09.09.2021

Summary

In anticipation of an interseasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemic, a clinician-led reporting system was rapidly established to capture RSV infections in Swiss hospitals, starting in January 2021. Here, we present details of the reporting system and first results to June 2021. An unusual epidemiology was observed with an interseasonal surge of RSV infections associated with COVID-19-related non-pharmacological interventions. These data allowed real-time adjustment of RSV prophylaxis guidelines and consequently underscore the need for and continuation of systematic nationwide RSV surveillance.

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