Another year of research and already six publications
The start of 2025 has been marked by a number of scientific results and publications in population epidemiology in Geneva. These results, drawn from studies conducted by the Population Epidemiology Unit of the Department of Primary Care Medicine at the HUG, shed further light on the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on several dimensions of health.
Monitoring the long-term impact of the pandemic
An analysis published on 26 January 2025 shows that SARS-CoV-2 infections could be associated with an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. A study also conducted by the UEP had explored the current cardiovascular health of the Geneva population by comparing it with the pre-pandemic period thanks to the Health Bus. The results, based on blood measurements and a clinical examination, show that hypertension, cholesterol and diabetes remain stable between 2016-2019 and 2023-2024.
Burn out, exhaustion and severe fatigue
The mental health of the population is just as central to current research. A third study based on data from Specchio-COVID19 analysed the extent to which habits such as teleworking, adopted during the pandemic, could have an impact on the health of people in employment. The study found an association between burnout and a decrease in teleworking. In addition, we now know, based on another study conducted by the UEP, that approximately a third of the general adult population in the canton of Geneva suffered from severe fatiguetwo years after the start of the pandemic.
Other impacts on mental health
Looking beyond the pandemic, the Specchio study study looks at many other dimensions of health, as well as social and economic disparities. The results of the Specchio study show that the financial difficulties perceived by the people taking part in the study are associated with poor sleep quality. These results underline the importance of integrative approaches, i.e. focusing on people as a whole - physically, mentally and socially - to reduce social inequalities in sleep.
Adolescence and future prospects
By looking at the future temporal perspectives and concerns of the younger generation, which are little explored in the field of research, the UEP is demonstrating through recent results that the main concerns of teenagers for the future are failure, education and climate change. Weak social support and excessive screen time are some of the factors that can contribute to a feeling of limited future prospects.
What can we learn from this?
Taken together, these results show that it is essential to conduct population-based studies to better understand and respond to health issues in Geneva, and to continue to monitor health status over the long term.
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