Covid-19 ICU discharges quickly outpacing deaths

Discharges of Covid-19 patients in Dutch intensive care units has increased almost five-fold in the past month, according to statistics from nonprofit organization NICE. Just 121 people had been discharged from ICUs by April 5, at a time when two thousand people had required intensive care. One month later, the organization said on Monday, a total of 713 former ICU patients were released from the hospital.

In total, 2,825 people have been treated in ICU, of which 727 have died. That is an increase of 121 percent over the 329 person total recorded on April 5. 

By Monday afternoon, patient coordination office LCPS said 683 people were in ICU for Covid-19. That is a decrease of five compared to the previous day, and the continuation of over three straight weeks were a decrease was recorded.

There were also fewer patients being treated for Covid-19 outside of the ICU, a figure which stood at 1,333 on Monday. At least 666 of that total was made up of former ICU patients who were transferred to another ward.

As the number of Covid-19 patients in ICU continues to fall, hospitals in the Netherlands are restarting their regular care. This week, outpatient clinics in Noord-Holland and Flevoland will start operating again, with some extra precautionary measures in place to protect both patients and hospital workers.