Now that the coronavirus measures and restrictions have been lifted, individual responsibility is becoming more important. How we protect ourselves and others now depends on our own behaviour. The basic principles described on this page will protect you not only from the coronavirus but also from other respiratory pathogens.
Since the return to a normal situation, responsibility for the ordering of measures to protect the population has moved back to the cantons. The measures can therefore differ from one canton to the next. Consult the canton to find out whether and what cantonal measures apply.
If you feel that you are getting a cold, try to avoid contact with others – particularly people at especially high risk – and stay at home as much as you can. If this is not possible, wear a facemask when you are with other people, and keep your distance from them. The coronavirus and other pathogens such as the flu virus or the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are all transmitted in similar ways, and can also prompt similar symptoms.
This also means that if you are at especially high risk, you should contact your doctor or another medical specialist if you develop any cold symptoms, so that if you have contracted COVID-19, appropriate treatment can be swiftly considered. If you go to work, please also discuss your work activities with your employer, along with any protection measures and/or medical certificate that may be required.
Older people: The risk that people will contract a severe case of coronavirus disease increases as they get older. The risk of being hospitalised also increases from the age of 50. Pre-existing (underlying) conditions increase the risk even further.
Pregnant people
People aged 16 and over trisomy 21
People aged 16 and over with certain forms of the following chronic diseases:
o High blood pressure
o Cardiovascular disease
o Diabetes
o Pulmonary and respiratory diseases
o Conditions and therapies that weaken the immune system
o Cancer
o Obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2)
o Chronic kidney disease
o Liver cirrhosis
If you are unsure whether you are at especially high risk, please consult your doctor.
You’ll find more details on the symptoms of COVID-19 on the Disease, symptoms, treatment page. And further information on testing will be found on the Tests page.
Do you want to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus, from the flu or from other respiratory illnesses? By observing the following basic principles – individually or in combination – you can reduce the risk of an infection with these viruses and also protect others. Which of these principles make the most sense will depend greatly on where you may be (e.g. on public transport or at work). The risk of getting infected with the coronavirus and other respiratory pathogens is greatest in crowded indoor locations. So in such surroundings, a combination of wearing a facemask and regular ventilation (if possible) may be the best approach.
Get vaccinated
Vaccination can help protect you from a severe case of COVID-19. You can find more information on the Vaccination page.
You can continue to wear a facemask if you wish. As the coronavirus is transmitted via droplets and aerosols, facemasks protect you and others from infection. If you develop symptoms of possible infection, a facemask will be particularly useful in helping to ensure that you do not pass any viruses on.
Please be sure to use surgical masks which meet the following requirements:
Standard: EN 14683
Packaging information: CE marking and details of the manufacturer, including their address
There are three types of EN 14683 surgical mask with differing levels of filter efficiency: Type I, Type II and Type IIR. Any of these is suitable for everyday use.
Surgical masks, provided they are used correctly, will primarily protect other people from droplet infection. But they also provide the wearer with a certain amount of protection from infection through droplets from other people in their immediate vicinity.
(Masks of similar standards are also sold under the names N95 [manufactured in the USA] or KN95 [manufactured in China]).
Surgical (hygiene or medical) masks are adequate for use in day-to-day situations.
Filtering face piece masks provide extra protection for people who need it or in situations where there is a greater risk of virus transmission (such as enclosed and poorly ventilated areas).
Filtering face piece masks should meet the following requirements:
Standard: EN 149
Printed designation: EN 149 (year) FFP2, plus CE label
Size and fit: choose a size and shape that fit the shape of your face.
In filtering face piece masks such as FFP2 masks, the air flows through a filter when you breathe in and out. This filters out particles that may be laden with viruses. Many studies under laboratory conditions have demonstrated this.
This means that filtering face piece masks are superior to other masks in terms of their material’s filter performance, and enable you to protect yourself and others even better from infection via aerosols.
For a filtering face piece mask to provide such increased protection, however, it must be optimally adjusted to the shape of your face and fit snugly at all times. There must be no gap between the mask and your skin: if there is, most of the air will be exhaled through this gap, and this exhaled air will travel even further because of the pressure it is under. The air you inhale will also not be filtered, as it will flow-in unfiltered through the gap(s). This is especially true for the parts of the mask to the right and left of the nose, which must be modelled closely to the shape of the nose using the metal strip. If you have a beard, you will generally find that you cannot wear a filtering face mask sufficiently snugly to your face. When wearing the mask, you must also take care that it does not slip, e.g. when speaking or during other movements, as this will also create gaps.
FFP2 masks are recommended primarily for patient care with certain high-risk contacts (e.g. when in close and protracted contact with COVID-19 patients) or for situations where there may be an increased release or accumulation of aerosols (e.g. in rooms with poor ventilation). For more information, please see the recommendations of the National Centre for Infection Control (Swissnoso).
Masks with valves are also available on the market. We expressly do NOT recommend these masks for everyday use, as they do not filter on exhalation (breathing out) and tend to facilitate the spread of the virus.
The risk of infection is increased when you are in close contact with other people. This is because when they sneeze or cough, and even when they just speak or breathe more heavily, people release more droplets and aerosols into their immediate vicinity. So by keeping your distance from others, you can reduce your risk of infection.
Ventilating reduces the concentration of coronaviruses, other respiratory viruses and other contaminants in indoor spaces and thus the risk of transmission. So any indoor areas where people from different groups or households congregate should be ventilated particularly well and regularly. Temperature permitting, it is also a good idea to leave windows open for extended periods.
Many buildings in Switzerland can only be ventilated by opening the windows.
If many people are in a room and the windows are closed, the quality of the air will deteriorate very rapidly, and viruses and bacteria can accumulate. So to reduce the risk of airborne infection with the coronavirus or other pathogens such as the flu virus, rooms should be aired as thoroughly as possible.
Certain activities such as frequent talking, singing, high levels of physical exertion or coughing and sneezing will release more coronaviruses.
Indoor locations where people from several groups or households congregate (such as meeting rooms, common areas in retirement homes, offices, living rooms with guests etc.) should if possible be ventilated twice an hour for at least 5 minutes each time. When doing so, always fully open the windows and ensure that there is a draught (impact ventilation).
Remind yourself to ventilate rooms with window ventilation: e.g. set an alarm on your mobile phone or use a CO2 measurement device that shows indirectly how well ventilated a room is. Rooms with people in them are well ventilated if the CO2 level can be kept below 1,000 ppm for most of the time.
Ventilating with the help of a CO2 measuring device: Ventilate if the CO2 level increases to over 1,000 ppm, and at 1,400 ppm at the latest. Ventilate for a sufficient length of time too: ideally until the CO2 level has fallen again to below 500 ppm.
In a room occupied by around the same number of people at all times, a CO2 measurement device can be used temporarily to determine a ventilation routine that is appropriate to the way the room is used.
The device should not be placed right next to a window or a door or in a corner, and should not be positioned close to anyone’s breathing.
If you have a ventilation or air conditioning system: to ensure effective protection, operate your system on a high ventilation rate (maximum level of air changes per hour/ACH) and on the lowest possible air recirculation rate (information for operators on the Suissetec website, available in German, French and Italian only).
Tip: The risk of virus infection can be reduced by limiting contacts indoors (e.g. the number of people on site).
Measures to reduce pathogens
Ventilation is the most important measure for protecting against transmission indoors over longer distances and to ensure healthy indoor air. There is also discussion of additional measures to reduce pathogens in indoor air:
In order to efficiently remove particles and aerosols from indoor air, air filtration units must be equipped with appropriate filters, suitably sized and located, and regularly maintained. A frequent drawback to them is their high noise level at maximum power. Also, an air filtration unit will still not effectively reduce your risk of coronavirus infection if you are in close contact with an infected person. You can find out more in the ‘Air filtration units to tackle the coronavirus’ factsheet.
Disinfecting surfaces or the air through the specialist use of UV-C radiation devices has long been a way of eliminating pathogens in professional settings. However, studies of UV-C disinfection devices for home use have revealed significant shortcomings: they either exceed UV-C limits and therefore pose a risk to health, or the UV-C radiation generated is too weak to have a disinfectant effect. You can find out more about this in the factsheet on UV-C disinfection devices for home use.
Devices are also increasingly being marketed to disinfect the air in rooms. However, their usefulness is questionable, and they can have harmful effects on the health of any persons present in the room during their operation. For more information on this and on the transmission of coronaviruses in general, please see the document on disinfecting indoor air to combat the coronavirus (in German, French or Italian).
Wash your hands regularly or disinfect them with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. This will also help you protect yourself and others from infection by a range of further pathogens (such as the flu virus or cold viruses) which can trigger a cold or a cough.
Wash your hands whenever you
come home
have touched objects or surfaces that have also been touched frequently by other people
have blown your nose, coughed or sneezed
are about to prepare food or eat.
Please note: The temperature of the water you use has no influence on the reduction of the number of viruses on the skin. The water can therefore be cold or lukewarm. What is more important is how and for how long you wash your hands. This means you should soap all areas of your hands (including thumbs, spaces between fingers, backs of hands and fingernails) thoroughly for at least 30 seconds.
Elternnotruf: phone 0848 35 45 55 (counselling in German, French, Italian or English).
At the normal rates and at selected times:
Pro Mente Sana counselling line: 0848 800 858 (also via e-mail).
Or visit dureschnufe.ch, where you’ll find tips and help (in German) on issues such as family and loneliness, problems at home, financial concerns and similar. Under 10 steps for mental health, you are also provided with tips on what you can do yourself to boost your well-being.
Worry, loneliness and stress can also lead to increased consumption of alcohol, prescription drugs or other substances. At www.safezone.ch you can get online advice (in German, in French or Italian) on addiction and substance abuse issues, anonymously if you wish.
Information campaign ‘Protect yourself and others’: posters, videos and instructions in different languages, incl. those of Switzerland’s migrant population
