Private hospitals in São Paulo report decrease in Covid-19 admissions, ICU and clinical beds

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Hospital admissions due to Covid-19 have decreased in intensive care units (ICU) and clinical beds in the private hospitals in São Paulo, according to the Association of Hospitals, Clinics, and Laboratories (SindHosp).

During the June 28-July 2 period, 62% of private hospitals had ICU bed occupancy rates above 80%.

In the previous survey, conducted between June 14 and 18, 56% of hospitals were above 80% in the latest survey, compared with 81% of facilities in the previous survey.

SindHosp also shared that 64% of hospitals reported no increase in admissions in the last 10 days, compared to 66% reporting an increase in admissions in the last 10 days in the previous survey. “There has been a reversal in trend,” the company wrote in a statement.

The association figures reinforce that the age range of patients coming to the hospital for Covid-19 has decreased. According to the survey, 81% of hospitals have clinical beds occupied by patients ages 41 to 50, and 63% report that intensive care units have patients ages 51 to 60.

Although 49% of hospitals report admissions of pregnant and/or postpartum women, bed occupancy rates are low, with 97% of hospitals reporting up to 2% occupancy of pregnant and/or postpartum women.

Drug shortages, which reached critical levels during the most acute phase of the second wave of Covid-19, have stabilized – 29% of hospitals report having on hand intubation kits for up to one month, while 34% report inventory for more than one month. Only 1% have stock for one week.

The survey, conducted by SindHosp from June 28-July 2, included 86 private hospitals with a total of 3,694 ICU beds and 8,002 clinical beds, representing a sample of 22% of all hospitals in the state.