The intensive care units treating coronavirus patients are completely full at the Matei Balș Institute of Infectious Diseases in Bucharest. As chief physician Cătălin Apostolescu told Antena 3 news, the situation is critical again at the hospital, as ICU is overcrowded again, as it was last November.
The head physician said that they had to move beds from other departments to supplement the intensive care units, not to mention there was a shortage of staff as well.
“Worst of all, severe symptoms are much more common in this third wave of the pandemic, and the condition of some patients can worsen even overnight, so they require intensive treatment,” said Dr. Apostolescu. Moreover, the number of seriously ill younger patients (between 30 and 40 years of age) is increasing, the head physician noted.
“We are operating at maximum capacity; we can no longer receive any more patients. On Saturday, there were intense negotiations with the national coordination center, which helped us out. But if the evolution of the pandemic continues in this way, the national strategy for preventing the spread of the coronavirus will have to be completely reconsidered,” Apostolescu emphasized.
According to a Monday statement of the Transylvanian Kolozs (Cluj) County prefect, Szilárd Tasnádi, all ICU beds were occupied as of Sunday in the county’s COVID hospitals, and demand continues.
The pandemic is on an ascending curve in Romania. On Monday, 2972 new daily infections were reported, but last week, there were days when the number of newly diagnosed infections went well above 4,000. Also on Monday, a total of 11,238 people were treated in COVID hospitals, and 1,225 patients required intensive care.
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Title image: The condition of patients with severe symptoms can worsen overnight, thus there is continuous demand for ICU beds
Source: descopera.ro