[ad_1]
First, the spread of infection in society increases, then the number of covid patients in hospitals increases. This is the train schedule when the corona pandemic takes off.
After an autumn with more and more confirmed COVID cases, the number of patients is gradually approaching spring levels. According to figures from the Swedish Public Health Agency on Tuesday morning, 1,868 people are receiving care nationwide, nearly 500 fewer than when it was at its worst earlier this year.
– The increase is pronounced at the moment, although it was even more pronounced this spring, says Björn Eriksson, director of health and medical care in the Stockholm region, and it is explained for several reasons:
– During the spring, we had a rapid spread of the infection, although it did not appear in the same way as now because there was a lack of capacity to test so much. Nothing was known about the disease, so people may seek care at a later stage.
During the spring, it was reported that most 1,100 covid patients simultaneously in the Stockholm Region. On Tuesday, the corresponding figure was 735. In the last week, the number increased by 216.
– It is a very serious situation. The disease is relentless and erratic. But we also see positive things. According to preliminary figures, the attention times seem shorter now. We interpret this to mean that staff are better at caring for illness. It may also be due to the age structure, which is a slightly younger population that is cared for. But we need to look at that further, says Eriksson.
Capacity is good even if the situation is tense, you think.
– We hope to reach completion soon. There we always hope for the best, but we hope for the worst. We can probably expect a lot of pressure even during Christmas and New Years. The biggest challenge, in addition to getting the people of Stockholm to understand the seriousness, is ensuring that employees can cope with the heavy burden. There, managers must work closely with staff and conversational support is available, says Björn Eriksson.
The Västra Götaland region is also increasing the burden on healthcare. On Tuesday 247 hospitalized patients were reported. Director of Health and Medical Care, Ann Söderström, still sees no signs of slowing down, but notes that there is plenty of attention span left.
– During the spring, we admitted about 400 patients at the same time. We have plans to scale. I think our preparation is good, both for intensive care units and for regular care settings. But it happens at the expense of other planned care that can be canceled. It’s also hard for staff not to know how high the ceiling will be or when it will arrive, he says.
As in other regions, they notice an important difference compared to spring: the proportion of patients who need intensive care is lower. This is an advantage because intensive care requires the most resources.
The reason is partly that healthcare personnel have learned which treatments bite better, for example to prevent blood clots, which is common in patients, Söderström explains.
– For us, the narrowest sector is VAT, especially when it comes to human resources. It’s easier to switch from other care to pandemic or quarantine care, even if it also becomes a burden on hospitals, he says.
Skåne region reports 187 covid patients on Tuesday. This is far more than the nearly 70 that were reported at the same time in the spring.
– Our assessment is that the situation is serious in the Skåne Region. We really need residents across the county to do their best to stay, persevere, and keep their distance. It’s obvious, says Rasmus Havmöller, regional chief physician, but he also emphasizes that the region’s capacity is good:
– Like last spring, we have a plan to adapt to the situation, to be able to take into account an increase and continuity of the load. Based on this, Region Skåne has a good capacity to serve both covid patients and ordinary patients.
Read more:
Three doctors: this is how we improve in the treatment of covid-19
Main deficiencies in covid care in nursing homes show review
The new corona virus: follow developments live
