Covid-19 Intensive Care

Intensive care units in hospitals in Paris are nearing full capacity as severe Coronavirus cases increase. Paris hospitals currently treat almost 1,000 people in ICU and are being force to put of non-urgent surgeries.

"The capacity of ICU beds in our state will be exhausted in two weeks," said Vladimir Cerny, Czech Republic Deputy Health Minister. The Health Ministry describes the situation as critical with more than 120,000 active cases at the moment.

The regional hospital in Karlovy-Vary in West Bohemia receives covid patients from the surrounding area, including from badly hit regions of Cheb and Sokolov. The intensive care unit is now almost full to capacity.

“This morning we had six beds left in the ICU ward but this number could change in an hour and in two hours everything can change again,” said Vladislav Podracky, Spokesperson, Karlovy Vary Hospital.

Venezuela had announced on January 14 that in light of the humanitarian crisis provoked by a drastic increase in Covid-19 cases in Amazonas, it would send 130,000 litres of oxygen to support the struggling public health system. In addition to the oxygen tanks, the Venezuelan government also formed a brigade with 107 Brazilian and Venezuelan doctors, graduates of the Salvador Allende Latin American School of Medicine in Caracas, to help combat the pandemic in the State.

Brazil has been one of the worst impacted countries during the pandemic, which progressive movements have largely attributed to the mismanagement of the public health crisis by the federal government under far-right Jair Bolsonaro.

Dozens of Covid-19 patients in Manaus, the Amazon rainforest's biggest city, will be flown out of state as the local health system collapses, authorities announced Thursday as dwindling stocks of oxygen tanks meant some people were starting to die breathless at home.

"Due to the strong impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the consumption of oxygen in the city increased exponentially over the last few days in comparison with a volume that was already extremely high," White Martins said in an emailed statement to Associate Press.

Brazilian influencers are running a crowdfunding campaign to delivery oxygen tanks to the city.

Across the entire state of California, the ICU capacity has fallen to 0% on Christmas day.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said the state had 2.5% ICU capacity on Monday. Wednesday, he reported it had fallen to 1.1%. On Christmas, one day after it became the first state 2 millionth infection, available capacity officially dropped to 0% in California.

Dr. Mathias Mengel, Medical Director of the Klinikum Oberlausitzer Bergland gGmbH, explained in a video forum on Tuesday evening that triage has already had to be carried out several times at the hospital in Zittau in Saxony, Germany.

According to Mengel, there have not been enough ventilation beds available and he stated that they "been in the situation several times in the past few days of having to decide who gets oxygen and who doesn't".

The intensive care units of the hospitals in Stockholm have reached a capacity of 99 percent and are almost at a point where no new patients can be admitted.

Stockholm region's health and medical care director Björn Eriksson has called for help as "the consequences could be terrible" of nothing would change and if people "go for after-work drinks, do Christmas shopping or meet people outside your household".

The intensive care units of the Emil-von-Behring-Klinikum in Zehlendorf, the Humboldt-Klinikum (Borsigwalde) and the Auguste-Viktoria-Klinikum (Schöneberg) are working to capacity according to a register of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine. Corona sufferers in the capital city are no longer admitted there.

Besides, the "Berliner Morgenpost" reports that the St. Marien hospital in Lankwitz may be started again by rescue services and ambulances only at the beginning of the coming week. Also, the Vivantes hospital in Neukölln is considering a stop of admissions.

The hospitals in Berlin are the first hospitals in Germany to be overloaded and close their emergency rooms.

Germany reports almost as many corona patients are again in intensive care units as in spring. According to reports, the situation is even more critical than in April as Germany reports record numbers in new cases. On Saturday, an absolute peak of 23,399 was recorded.

The German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) reported that 2904 Covid-19 patients are being treated in intensive care.

The ICU of French hospitals will be at capacity levels with Coronavirus patients by November 11th, assuming the current surge in cases can't be contained.

Lawmaker André Chassaigne told reporters: "He [PM Jean Castex] told us that on 11 November, our hospitals will be at a saturation level equivalent to that of the first wave, so a level of extreme saturation. So the situation is particularly serious. If we can’t flatten the curve, in the next 15 days, our hospitals won’t be able to treat patients."

No measures were discussed.

The chief of Switzerland's Covid-19 taskforce, Martin Ackermann, has told reports that "We estimate that the capacity limit in intensive care in hospitals will be reached between November 5-18 if nothing changes from the current situation". Previously a new record of 6,634 Covid-19 cases had been recorded.

Sophie Wilmès has been admitted to intensive care on Wednesday evening following a Coronavirus infection. Her spokeswoman said she is conscious, stable and able to communicate.

Dr. Olivier Joannes-Boyau, the head of the intensive care unit at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Bordeaux, told CNN that the city's ICUs are nearing capacity. His hospital only has 10 of 35 beds available. France is experiencing a resurgence of Coronavirus cases. Dr. Joannes-Boyau says the first wave was like a sprint while the second will be more like a marathon.

Dr. Catherine Fleureau, director of the CHU, agreed and said: "It's also going to be harder than last time, because this wave, I think, will grow progressively and then last over time."

Hospitals in Florida are running out of intensive care unit beds as the state sees one of the worst surges of Covid-19 cases in the United States. A report by Florida's health authority shows that 30 hospitals are at 90 percent ICU capacity while almost 50 hospitals have no more available ICU beds.

One of the two drugs that have been approved for the treatment of Covid-19, Remedesivir, has been bought up by the United States. For the next three months, there will most likely be almost no supply for other countries. According to Dr Andrew Hill from Liverpool University, the United States "got access to most of the drug supply" of Remdesivir. Over 500,000 doses have been bought.

Alex Azar, the United States health and human services secretary has stated that "to the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs Remdesivir can get it. The Trump administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for Covid-19 and secure access to these options for the American people".

With a rising number of Covid-19 cases, India is running out of Intensive Care Units in Mumbai, which is most affected by the pandemic. The city reports the use of 99% of its ICU beds and 9% use of ventilators according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Out of the 1,181 ICU beds, only 14 are open for new patients.

With clinic and health personnel needed more than ever due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Medical Association warns of increasing attacks against medical personnel.

According to the association inappropriate anger, fear and misinformation could be the greatest drivers of violence during the pandemic.

A fire that killed five people in the intensive care unit at St George Hospital, in St Petersburg, apparently started by a short-circuit in a ventilator.

According to Russia's NTV news website, the fire did not spread beyond one Covid-19 ward on the sixth floor, and doctors were quoted saying a short-circuit caused one ventilator "literally to explode".

After being admitted to a London hospital the prime minister of the United Kingdom has been moved to an intensive care unit as his condition worsens following his infection with the coronavirus.