COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease: what have we learned?

As of 10 December, 82,127 citations were found in PubMed on COVID-19 and 5285 when “COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease” were used as search words. Many cardiovascular societies have also released statements regarding COVID-19. What have we learned from this incredible scientific excitement?

Cardiovascular aspects of COVID-19

In this review, findings and debates relating to the diverse aspects of cardiovascular involvement of COVID-19 are summarised and put into perspective. The authors review evidence for the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), the risk of pre-existing cardiovascular disease in COVID-19 susceptibility and course, and the mechanism of acute and long-term myocardial injury.

Management of bleeding events and invasive procedures in patients with haemophilia A without inhibitors treated with emicizumab

Based on the available literature and the experiences collected from adult and paediatric patients treated in Switzerland, the Working Party on Haemostasis of the Swiss Society of Haematology and the Swiss Haemophilia Network provides a practical guidance for the management of breakthrough bleeding events and surgery in patients with haemophilia A without inhibitors treated with emicizumab.

SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 in patients on the Swiss national transplant waiting list

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on patients listed for solid organ transplantation has not been systematically investigated to date. The authors of this study assessed occurrence and effects of infections with SARS-CoV-2 on patients on the Swiss national waiting list for solid organ transplantation.

In the eye of the hurricane: the Swiss COVID-19 pandemic stepwise shutdown approach in organ donation and transplantation

The Swiss stepwise shutdown approach in organ donation and transplantation helped to maintain a limited national organ procurement and vital organ transplant activity, avoiding a complete nationwide shutdown of organ donation and transplant activity. 

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute coronary syndromes

Prolonged delays from symptom onset to first medical contact and a decline in overall ACS incidence were observed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a higher threshold to call for help among ACS patients.

Early experimental COVID-19 therapies: associations with length of hospital stay, mortality and related costs

Prescribing experimental therapies for COVID-19 was not associated with a reduced length of hospital stay and might have increased the pressure put on healthcare systems.

Active clearance of chest tubes after cardiac surgery: a propensity score matched analysis

Chest tubes inserted to drain shed mediastinal blood after cardiac surgery often become clogged, limiting their capacity to evacuate blood, and leading to blood retention and retained blood syndrome. The aim of this study was the assessment of the efficacy of an active tube clearance system in the reduction of retained blood syndrome after cardiac surgery.

The Swiss STAR trial – an evaluation of target groups for sexually transmitted infection screening in the sub-sample of women

HIV and HCV do not appear to pose a major public health problem among female sex workers in Switzerland, whereas vaccination against HBV should be promoted. Female sex workers showed high rates of sexually transmitted infections requiring treatment to reduce transmission to clients and/or steady partners. Female sex workers should be offered low-cost or free STI screening as a public health priority.

The Swiss STAR trial – an evaluation of target groups for sexually transmitted infection screening in the sub-sample of men

Among men who have sex with men (MSM), but not among other multi-partner men, sexually transmitted infections, mostly asymptomatic, are common. Given the high risk of onward transmission, low-cost or free routine screening of multi-partner MSM is a public health priority.

Predictive power of high school educational attainment and the medical aptitude test for performance during the Bachelor program in human medicine at the University of Bern: a cohort study

Students’ Matura grades predicted their subsequent performance in undergraduate medical education in the bachelor’s program of the University of Bern. In contrast, EMS scores do not explain any additional variance in students’ performance throughout the entire bachelor’s program. These findings suggest a need for rethinking the admission process.

Postoperative outcome of tracheal resection in benign and malignant tracheal stenosis

Tracheal or cricotracheal resection is the standard of care for definitive treatment of tracheal stenosis. However, the incidence is low, the management is complex, and only a few centres have reported their experience.

A retrospective epidemiological study of paediatric femoral fractures

Femoral fracture is a significant major trauma in children and adolescents, sometimes resulting in serious complications. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology of femoral fractures and to define associated injuries and mortality incidence in a pediatric population below 16 years old.

Epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Switzerland: a local, exploratory, cross-sectional study

From a public health perspective, the results of the present study support the development of multidisciplinary programmes aimed at delivering more comprehensive services tailored to the social and medical needs of the female sex worker population.

Towards novel reimbursement models for expensive advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs)

This article analyses the current legal framework in Switzerland and critically evaluates existing reimbursement models, particularly with respect to their adaptation for advanced therapy medicinal products. As a promising reimbursement arrangement, this paper proposes a model combining outcome-based instalment payments with aspects of the pay for performance and the annuity payment model. 

Optimal allocation of limited test resources for the quantification of COVID-19 infections

The proposed methodology can lead to vastly less uncertain predictions for the spread of the disease, thus improving estimates of the effective reproduction number and the future number of unreported infections. This information can provide timely and systematic guidance for the effective identification of infectious individuals and for decision-making regarding lockdown measures and the distribution of vaccines.

Early evidence of effectiveness of digital contact tracing for SARS-CoV-2 in Switzerland

Digital contact tracing is an effective complementary tool for controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Continued technical improvement and international compatibility can further increase the efficacy, particularly also across country borders.

37-year incidence and mortality time trends of common cancer types by sex, age, and stage in the canton of Zurich

The Cancer Registry Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen and Schwyz is one of the oldest cancer registries in Switzerland, first registering tumours in 1980 for the canton of Zurich. The aim of this study was to analyse trends in incidence and mortality for the most common types of cancer in the canton of Zurich from 1981 to 2017.