Decrease in Covid-19 ICU patients a “favorable sign” after measures relaxed: Expert

There were 170 patients being treated for Covid-19 in intensive care on Saturday, the lowest that patient load has been since March 16. It was a decrease of 10 compared to Friday, with the week ending with 57 fewer patients than at the start.

Still, it was a lower reduction than the week prior, which showed a decrease of 119 patients. "Three weeks after the first relaxation of measures, the reopening of the primary schools and the resumption of activities in the contact professions, the number of COVID ICU patients continues to decline. That is a favorable sign," said Ernst Kuipers, the chair of the acute care providers network in the Netherlands.

While the rate of reduction has slowed down significantly since Monday in intensive care, the decrease is progressing in the other hospital departments. Hospitals had 29 fewer Covid-19 patients outside of the ICU on Saturday, bringing the total down to 589.

Some 393 of those patients had been treated at some point in intensive care, said nonprofit organization NICE. The ICU research organization said that 2,882 patients from the Netherlands have been treated in ICU for Covid-19 since early March.

Of that group, 827 have died, and 1,440 recovered and were discharged from medical facilities.