New covid variant causes concern

There are worries over a new Covid variant which seems to have the ability to circumvent protection given by previous infections and vaccines.

The variant is known as ‘Pirola’ and it has 30 different mutations to the spike protein.

Infections are up, this is determined by waste water analysis. Experts are assuming there’s a large number of unreported cases. Zurich has relaunched free testing.

In addition to Pirola, there are other variants that are also being tracked.

But there is some good news – British scientist Francois Balloux says even if Pirola spreads widely, he doesn’t expect the wave to cause the level of serious illness and deaths seen at the beginning of covid. 

More from Bitesize News

  • Bank details compromised

    British digital bank Revolut has admitted handing customer information to fraudsters who impersonated a European government agency

  • Watch theft victim speaks out

    A luxury watch dealer just across the French border from Geneva has broken his silence about a violent robbery earlier this month

  • Crans Montana hearings due before end of year

    Jessica Moretti, who ran the Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, is now living in near-isolation in the Valais village of Lens more than eight months after the deadly New Year's Eve fire

  • Better news for economy

    Switzerland's economy will grow 1.7% this year — nearly double the 0.9% expansion forecast in June, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said yesterday

  • Geneva budget plan unveiled

    Geneva has now put figures to its austerity plan — a CHF 546 million deficit for 2027, even after CHF 247 million in cuts

  • Summer fires increase

    Firefighters across French-speaking Switzerland tackled far more vegetation fires this summer than in any of the past five years

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play