These results are consistent with findings in other studies. The heat waves (especially in June), were correlated with a higher number of ambulance callouts. In addition to some geographic, climatic, and social factors that had a protective impact, the response of the emergency services is likely to have contributed to a certain reduction in mortality.

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Background The Preparedness Plan for Surveillance and Interventions on Emerging Vector-Borne Diseases (VBDs) in Southern Switzerland outlines the strategy for preventing and managing potential outbreaks, as well as the surveillance and control activities with a specific focus on Aedes-borne diseases transmitted by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The objective of the plan is to provide Public Health Authorities with a framework of preventive and control measures according to the situation and level of epidemic risks. Material and methods The plan is divided into various phases representing the different steps for all potential situations, ranging from no vectors and no transmission risk to epidemic levels with multiple autochthonous/local cases of hospitalization (and deaths) until the end of the epidemic. An algorithm presents how decisions are taken to move from one phase of the plan to another, with detailed activities for different partners and strategies for each specific phase. Results The different phases of the plan include activities on disease surveillance and clinical case management, on vector surveillance and control, communication and coordination of activities. The plan is divided into five phases of activities and decision levels. From phase 0 (no cases) to phase 1 (low number of local cases, less than 5), phase 2 (small outbreak with more than 5 local cases), phase 3 (epidemic) and phase 4 (return to no more cases). Conclusion The plan has been approved by the cantonal authorities and will be submitted to federal authorities. The required implementation tests will begin shortly.

AIMS OF THE STUDY: A new emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and then spread rapidly, causing a global pandemic. In Europe, the first case was identified in Italy on 21 February 2020, in the Lombardy region bordering on the southern part of Switzerland (Canton Ticino), where 4 days later the first case was identified . Ticino was the most affected canton in Switzerland during the first wave of pandemic. In order to provide a reliable indicator for the spread of the virus in this region and help decision making at the public health level, a seroprevalence study of SARS-CoV-2 was conducted. METHODS: A cohort study was implemented on a randomly selected sample of 1500 persons. The sample is representative of the general population of the Canton of Ticino, stratified by sex and age from 5 years old.  Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein were detected using a rapid qualitative test in 4 data collection periods over the course of 12 months (from May–June 2020 to May–June 2021). RESULTS: The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was estimated at 9.0% in spring 2020 (weeks 20–26), 8.4% in summer 2020 (weeks 32–38), 14.1% in autumn 2020 (weeks 45–52) and 22.3% in spring 2021 (weeks 18–23). In none of these four phases was evidence of an association between sex or specific age groups and presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detected. For risk factors, the only strong and significant association found was with diabetes in the first three data collection periods but not in the fourth. Among people who participated in all four phases of the study and tested positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the first test, 61.8% were still positive even in the fourth, 12 months later. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis that, after one year and despite the severe burden in terms of hospitalisations and deaths experienced by the Canton Ticino, SARS-CoV-2 infection affected only a minority of the population (20%) and also suggest that the anti-nucleocapsid antibodies persist after 12 months in the majority of infected persons.

Background: Secondary prevention of coronary artery disease is highly effective and implemented on a large scale. However, studies testing adherence to recommended secondary prevention of other vascular diseases are rare. Our goal was to evaluate whether the kind of vascular disease influences prescription practice of secondary drug prophylaxis at hospital discharge and to which extent secondary prevention is actually complete. Methods: A 3-month prospective observational review of the hospital discharge information of all patients hospitalized because of a vascular disease diagnosis: coronary artery disease (i. 3) for CVD. The proportion of patients who were prescribed a complete bundle of recommended medications was globally 29.5% (24.1-35.0). Conclusions: We found similar global prescription rates of secondary prevention for the different vascular diseases. However, only one third of the studied collective gets a complete set of required prophylactic drugs.