Reported coronavirus hospitalizations fall by half compared to last week; 4,177 deaths
At least 40 people who tested positive for coronavirus were admitted to hospitals for treatment on Wednesday, public health agency RIVM said. Most of the 40 were included in the total number of new hospitalizations reported by the agency, 137, which include newly-discovered patients that date back to March 5.
Some 525 entered medical facilities in the seven-day period ending on April 22, less than half as many as the week before when 1,080 were admitted. Overall, 10,158 people who tested positive required hospitalization, including treatment for respiratory illness Covid-19, reported the RIVM.
In total, 4,177 people with coronavirus have died, including a minimum of 39 people who died on Wednesday, and 91 on the previous day. Many of those deaths were part of the total of 123 new fatal cases recorded by the RIVM, which stretch back to March 31.
The Netherlands has tested exactly 187 thousand people for a coronavirus infection. Of that group, 35,729 have tested positive, an increase of 887 compared to Wednesday.
On Thursday, the RIVM also announced that the nasal swabs used to perform coronavirus tests - a scarce commodity in the world at the moment - can also be 3D printed. The newly-created swabs first went into production on Tuesday. By the end of this month, 30 thousand such swabs will be produced in the Netherlands per day and distributed via the National Consortium for Medical Resources to laboratories and GGDs.
Radboud UMC in Nijmegen also developed a face shield that meets the safety requirements of the Inspectorate for Social Affairs and Employment. The face shield protects the entire face against droplets from sneezes, coughs, or during high-splash operations such as intubation and suction, according to the university hospital. A company from Waalwijk is going to make 100 thousand of these shields per week. The National Consortium for Medical Resources already placed a first order for healthcare institutions.
