Covid-19 patients in ICU down below 200 for first time in 10 weeks

For the first time since mid-March, the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care was below 200. There was a 16 percent decrease in patients from Monday afternoon, dropping to a total of 188 people on Tuesday, according to patient coordination office LCPS.

Figures from non-profit intensive care organization NICE also showed that no ICU patients with the coronavirus disease died in that same 24 hour period.

“As expected, the decrease in the number of COVID patients in the ICU is continuing. This is favorable for resuming other care,” said Ernst Kuipers, the head of the acute care providers network in the Netherlands. He reaffirmed his belief that in a matter of days, the country would have fewer than 150 Covid-19 patients in ICU.

Aside from 35 fewer people in ICU, there was also a large decrease of Covid-19 patients from other hospital wards. Dutch hospitals were treating 698 people for the disease on Tuesday, down 58 from one day prior, the LCPS said.

Since the pandemic began, 2,860 have required intensive care for Covid-19, of which 818 have died. While the number of fatalities in ICU slowed over the past month, down to just 9 in the past week, the number of recoveries has soared, according to NICE.

Some 1,348 have been discharged after a stay in an ICU, 56 more than a week ago. There were still 446 former ICU patients being cared for in other hospital departments.