SARS-CoV-2 N501Y Introductions and Transmissions in Switzerland from Beginning of October 2020 to February 2021-Implementation of Swiss-Wide Diagnostic Screening and Whole Genome Sequencing.

The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 lineages B.1.1.7 (N501Y.V1) throughout the UK, B.1.351 (N501Y.V2) in South Africa, and P.1 (B.1.1.28.1; N501Y.V3) in Brazil has led to the definition of variants of concern (VoCs) and recommendations for lineage specific surveillance. In Switzerland, during the last weeks of December 2020, we established a nationwide screening protocol across multiple laboratories, focusing first on epidemiological and microbiological definitions. In January 2021, we validated and implemented an N501Y-specific PCR to rapidly screen for VoCs, which are then confirmed using amplicon sequencing or whole genome sequencing (WGS). A total of 13,387 VoCs have been identified since the detection of the first Swiss case in October 2020, with 4194 being B.1.1.7, 172 B.1.351, and 7 P.1. The remaining 9014 cases of VoCs have been described without further lineage specification. Overall, all diagnostic centers reported a rapid increase of the percentage of detected VOCs, with a range of 6 to 46% between 25 to 31 of January 2021 increasing towards 41 to 82% between 22 to 28 of February. A total of 739 N501Y positive genomes were analysed and show a broad range of introduction events to Switzerland. In this paper, we describe the nationwide coordination and implementation process across laboratories, public health institutions, and researchers, the first results of our N501Y-specific variant screening, and the phylogenetic analysis of all available WGS data in Switzerland, that together identified the early introduction events and subsequent community spreading of the VoCs

Distribution of low quality filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic: an independent analysis of the situation in Switzerland.

SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus. Transmission occurs by droplets, contact and aerosols. In medical settings, filtering facepiece (FFP) respirators are recommended for use by personnel exposed to aerosol-generating procedures. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for FFP respirators exceeded their supply worldwide and low-quality products appeared on the market, potentially putting healthcare workers at risk. To raise awareness about variations in quality of imported FFP respirators in Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic, to draw attention to the current directives regulating the market launch of FFP respirators in Switzerland, to provide practical support in identifying suspicious products or documents and, finally, to offer strategies aimed at reducing the distribution of low-quality FFP respirators in the future. Three Swiss laboratories, Spiez Laboratory and Unisanté in partnership with TOXpro SA individually set up testing procedures to evaluate aerosol penetration and fit testing of FFP respirators imported into Switzerland during COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Spiez Laboratory visually inspected the products, examined the certification documents and crosschecked the product information with international databases. Between 31 March and 15 June 2020, 151 FFP respirators were analysed. The initial assessment performed before testing allowed a reduction of up to 35% in the number of FFP respirators sent to Spiez Laboratory for evaluation, for which product information found to be faulty. After filtration efficiency evaluation and fit testing, 52% and 60% of all products tested by Spiez Laboratory and Unisanté-TOXpro SA, respectively, did not meet the minimum performance requirements established independently by the three Swiss laboratories. The demand for FFP respirators exceeded the supply capacity from established suppliers of the Swiss market. New production and import channels emerged, as did the number of poor-quality FFP respirators. FFP respirators remaining in stocks should be checked for conformity before being used, or eliminated and replaced if quality does not meet standards