Daniel Koch

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Daniel Koch (born April 13, 1955 in Biel / Bienne ) is a Swiss doctor and former senior federal employee. From 2008 to 2020 he was head of the “Communicable Diseases” department at the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Life, education, work

Koch was born in Biel / Bienne and grew up in Valais. In his youth, however, he returned to Biel, where he obtained his Matura at the German Gymnasium Biel . Koch studied medicine at the University of Bern , then worked for several years as an assistant doctor. From 1988 to 2002 he worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross , first as a medical coordinator in crisis areas, including during the civil war in Sierra Leone , Uganda , South Africa and Peru .

From 1997 he worked as a medical assistant at the headquarters of the ICRC in Geneva , where he was responsible for the medical programs in Africa. In 1996/97 Koch supplemented his education with a postgraduate degree at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore USA , which he completed with a Masters in Public Health (MPH) .

Since 2002 he has worked for the BAG in various departments. He was a member of the task force against the SARS pandemic 2002/2003 and the avian flu H5N1 . Until 2006 he headed the “Vaccinations” section. From 2006 to 2008 he headed the “Pandemic Preparation” section.

"Reserved for Mr. Koch": allusion in a restaurant to the recommendation drawn up by Daniel Koch to keep distances between the tables in restaurants.

Daniel Koch became known throughout Switzerland in spring 2020 during the global COVID-19 pandemic through his presence in the Swiss media as head of the “Communicable Diseases” department at the FOPH.

On April 1, 2020, Stefan Kuster took over his position in the authority. Until coping with the pandemic, Koch worked under the title “BAG delegate for COVID-19” and continued to represent the BAG in public. Among other things, he took part in all Federal Council press conferences . When the Federal Council announced the imminent end of the extraordinary situation on May 27, Koch retired. Health Minister Alain Berset thanked him for his commitment. Daniel Koch's work was received less positively by some Swiss virologists because the FOPH responded too late to warnings and Daniel Koch was not ready to seek expert opinions long after the lockdown began.

Koch grew up in Valais as the son of a doctor and a nurse. Both parents died of an illness at the age of seven. First he was taken into a foster family, at the age of 17 he went to live with his grandmother in Biel. He is divorced and has two grown daughters. In addition to his commitment in the health sector, he is committed to animal welfare at Certodog (Foundation for the Well-Being of Dogs). He himself has two boxers and a sled dog. In his spare time he runs canicross -Sports and loves to run the half marathon and marathon .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Federal Office of Public Health FOPH: Communicable Diseases Department. Retrieved March 18, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Hannah Frei: Since March I have only hugged my grandson. July 18, 2020, accessed July 19, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Nico Menzato: Daniel Koch: This man protects Switzerland from coronavirus. February 26, 2020, accessed March 18, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Swiss Public Health Conference 2016: Keynotes - Swiss Public Health Conference 2016 | by organizers.ch. Retrieved March 18, 2020 .
  5. ↑ a b Daniel Koch from the BAG, the marathon man on www.schweizer-illustrierte.ch, accessed on May 22, 2020
  6. ^ Federal Office of Public Health: New head of the Communicable Diseases department of the FOPH. Federal Office of Public Health, March 31, 2020, accessed on March 31, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Mister Corona is retiring. In: Tages-Anzeiger. May 27, 2020, accessed May 27, 2020 .
  8. ↑ The cook, his boss and the virus: Did the Federal Council listen to the right experts during the crisis? In: NZZ am Sonntag. June 6, 2020, accessed August 6, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Aline Klötzli: Daniel Koch was orphaned at the age of 7. In: nau.ch. June 23, 2020, accessed June 25, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Adrian Müller: The face of the crisis - that's how “Mr. Coronavirus »Daniel Koch. Watson, accessed March 18, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Cook, Daniel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss doctor and federal employee
DATE OF BIRTH April 13, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH Biel / Bienne