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At a time when it is still difficult to understand whether the measures adopted by the Government have allowed a turnaround in the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Italy, we can now see a cooling of the trend to increase intensive care for Covid in the last 24 hours. : there are 58 new patients in intensive care in the last 24 hours, yesterday it was +120. The total number of places in intensive care occupied by Covid patients is 3,670 compared to 33,504 admissions in non-critical areas.
Many? Few? What is the current alarm level for the pandemic? After the failure of the policy of contact tracking Now it is clear that the only data we have to monitor the epidemic curve is the number of hospitalizations in intensive care and the consequent impact on the health system. As the Agenas follow-up shows, Covid patients currently occupy around 42% of the places in intensive care, or 12% more than the critical threshold established at 30%.
An alarm that now sounds in up to 17 of the 21 regions, getting worse since a week ago there were ‘only’ 10. In addition, the places in medical wards occupied by Covid patients are 51% across the country, compared to a threshold of 40%: this is also a stable figure, but it now affects 15 regions, compared to 12 7 days before.
The Agenas monitoring, updated with the data from November 17, shows a generalized criticality from north to south.
Data from the Regional Health Services Agency (Agenas) are based on a reworking of those from Civil Protection and the Ministry of Health. In intensive care, the 30% threshold, identified by the decree of the Ministry of Health of April 30, 2020, is exceeded by: Abruzzo (37%), Basilicata (33%), Calabria (34%, a sharp increase in compared to 13% of the data from November 10), Campania (34%), Emilia Romagna (35%), Lazio (32%), Liguria (53%), Lombardy (64%), Marche (45%), PA Bolzano (57%), PA Trento (39%), Piedmont (61%), Puglia (41%), Sardinia (37%), Tuscany (47%), Umbria (55%), Valle d’Aosta (46%) ). While Sicily is at the limit value of 30%.
With regard to hospitalizations in ‘non-critical’ areas, that is, in infectious diseases, pulmonology and internal medicine wards, the threshold of beds occupied by Covid patients, in this case defined as 40%, by: Abruzzo (47% ), Calabria (43%), Campania (47%), Emilia Romagna (47%), Lazio (49%), Liguria (74%), Lombardy (53%), Marche (52%), PA Bolzano (95% )), PA Trento (65%), Piedmont (92%), Puglia (51%), Tuscany (41%), Umbria (50%), Valle d’Aosta (73%, a sharp drop compared to 85% November 10).
These subsequent graphs also show the percentage of hospitalized Covid-19 patients out of total Covid-19 patients and the percentage of Covid-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care units out of the total number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients. With the exception of Trentino and Liguria, which present off-scale data, it is clear that the proportion of 5% between those positive for the coronavirus and people who have developed symptoms of Covid-19 and need hospitalization is more or less constant. . With a peak of seriously ill patients in Umbria and Basilicata. All the data on the next page.
But how many beds are there really in Italy? According to the coronavirus emergency commissioner, beds in intensive care have risen to 10,000.
However, the criticism comes from anesthesiologists who reveal that, compared to 5,000 before Covid, there are now no more than 8,000 beds in intensive care. “The data is particularly overestimated in some regions, such as Calabria, where many of the positions advertised are little more than a construction site and where it is about the shortage of specialists”, explains to ANSA, Alessandro Vergallo, national president of the association Italian hospital anesthetists. .
“If the equipment and beds are available, the health system suffers from a shortage of staff. The workforce, on the other hand, is not affordable or capable in the short term and the pressure in this case has become unbearable.” comments Mario Riccio, known for being Piergiorgio Welby’s anesthetist and director of the Luca Coscioni Association.
“Compared to the first wave – continues the head of resuscitation in Casalmaggiore, in the province of Cremona – in the areas of greatest suffering there are no transfers of technicians and nurses, just as we are not importing personnel from abroad. We need – adds Riccio – first of all to suspend all non-urgent surgical activities in some areas and also to involve public sector personnel, such as normally employed specialized nurse anesthesiologists, from affiliated or accredited smaller structures, such as small nursing homes, moving them to the Covid rooms. All that is not the case. happening “.
There are beds, there are no doctors
According to data also published by the British newspaper The Guardian since the beginning of the pandemic, only 625 more anesthesiologists and rescuers have been hired. “The beds and fans have increased, but the staff has remained largely the same,” explains Giovanni Leoni, vice president of the Italian medical order. “And those who are there have a much heavier workload. This is the biggest problem since it is not easy to find anesthetists or nurses capable of working in the ICU, since it is a specialty ”.
