The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units has risen to its highest level since spring 2020

The situation is worrying, it was said Stepani Bendel, Chief Physician of Intensive Care at Kuopio University Hospital.

“It’s hard to allocate resources. I suspect we are able to make too many patient transfers between hospital intensive care units for non-medical reasons. Because it seems that coronavirus patients are almost everywhere, moving patients doesn’t help terribly because there are no places for them, ”he told the broadcaster.

While the current situation remains manageable, it has forced the largest number of patients in hospitals to reduce other surgeries.

The Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) did not notice a significant change in its situation last weekend, and the number of patients in intensive care rose from 21 on Friday to 23 on Sunday. Total demand for hospital care declined and the number of inpatients fell from 134 to 110.

“The situation looks pretty good right now, as patient numbers aren’t rising fast. The situation isn’t quite bright, but when compared to the worst fears, it’s a little brighter in that sense, he said. Asko Järvinen, Chief Physician for Infectious Diseases of HUS.

Following the situation in other countries, he believes that the situation will stabilize in the coming weeks.

– With good luck in the Helsinki metropolitan area, the situation could be easier or at least level off at the beginning of February. In other parts of the country, where omicron has not yet become as strong, the situation is slowing down slightly. I am sure the number of infections and patients will rise there during February. “

The proportion of so-called occasional infections – infections in patients treated for other reasons – has clearly increased in the hospital district since the onset of omicron. Järvinen revealed that currently almost 30 percent of those infected with the virus initially sought treatment for other reasons.

According to Bendel, the phenomenon is also reflected in power departments. In the past, about 5 percent of patients became virus-positive after entering intensive care, up from about 15 percent in January.

This has its pros and cons, he added. Treatment will become more challenging in patients with coronavirus due to established infection control, but patients with occasional infections are likely to remain in hospital for a shorter period of time if viral pneumonia does not develop.

The phenomenon has also been observed in the hospital district of Southwest Finland.

“Patients are admitted to hospitals, but because hospitalizations are slightly shorter, the total number of patients has remained tolerable.” Mikko Pietilä, The Director of Medicine of the Hospital District of Southwest Finland told YLE.

“We hope the situation remains as calm. However, there are no guarantees,” he said.

There were seven patients in intensive care in the hospital district on Sunday and 17 in hospital.

Occasional infections have become more common in other parts of the world. New York Times, e.g. wrote earlier this month about the high rates of occasional infections in hospitals across the United States.

Aleksi Teivainen – HT

Source: The Nordic Page