Covid-19: ICU Bed Occupancy Over 90% in Rio’s Public and Private Hospitals

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Rio de Janeiro’s N ational Health System (SUS) hospitals reached over 94% occupancy of intensive care unit (ICU) beds with patients infected by Covid-19 on Friday morning. The network includes municipal, state and federal facilities.

In the private sector, over 90% of beds are currently filled.

The waiting list for a Covid-19 bed in the state of Rio de Janeiro included, by Friday morning, 276 people infected with the novel coronavirus or suspected of having the disease. Among them, 123 were in a severe health condition and needed an ICU bed.

According to the State Health Secretariat, since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state early this year, the highest bed occupancy rate had been recorded on May 4th, when it reached 98%.

On Thursday, November 26th, 138 deaths were registered and 1,644 new cases of Covid-19, which represented an increase of 88% according to the rolling average (which is the average of cases or deaths of the last seven days).

Despite the increase in cases and deaths, part of these beds continued disabled. In May, the state had 2,564 beds and in November the number stands at 1,253.

Graccho Alvim, president of the Hospitals Association, recalled that surgeries and elective exams in some hospitals have been suspended to provide beds for patients with coronavirus.

“Some hospitals have already suspended elective surgeries and exams, because these are bed occupancies that we can establish and direct for the care of Covid. This growth is becoming worrisome, mainly because we are almost at full capacity, we can’t stop attending these other diseases. We are attending urgencies, emergencies and Covid”, said the president.

He said that there is an attempt to negotiate with neighboring cities under lower pressure in their Intensive Care Units. “We are reaching a point of great stress and then the network starts to become very critical, these situations of assistance. What we have today are prevention measures, which is the wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding crowds,” stated the president.

Rapid tests are not available everywhere

Residents of the whole state, particularly the capital, reported difficulties in taking the rapid test for Covid-19 in municipal facilities. Some people stated that they visited Family Clinics with symptoms and staff reported that tests were lacking.

One man said he infected his mother after failing to have confirmation of the disease at the clinic. “I was at the Family Clinic in Realengo, and I was attended on Saturday with severe symptoms of Covid: headaches, coughing, a little shortness of breath and a sore throat. The clinic staff simply said they had no more tests. I eventually passed it to my mother because I was not sure if it was Covid and she was infected while trying to help me. We have not been tested,” said the man.

Like him, a woman reported that she was unable to be tested and that she fears for her family’s health. “Twenty days ago I had symptoms of Covid-19, I sought medical care at Carmela Dutra Hospital and the doctor prescribed the test for me on November 23rd, and so far I have not been able to take it. I need a confirmation, if I had or not, because I have other people in the house. I need to preserve their health and I also want to go back to work. I can’t take a quick test,” said the woman.

Rio’s City Hall reported that patients who meet the criteria take the test or schedule it.

Source: G1