Covid hospital total shows biggest one-day drop since the Spring

The total number of admitted coronavirus patients being treated in Dutch hospitals was 2,649 on Friday afternoon, a single-day decrease of 168. That decline was the largest reported in one day since the Spring. Similar to the day after Christmas, patient coordination office LCPS reported a below-average number of coronavirus hospital admissions on New Year’s Day.

Between the afternoons of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the hospitals admitted 239 new coronavirus into regular care, the lowest total in seven days. While below the seven-day moving average of 283, the daily tally was still about six times the amount which health experts believe to be acceptable.

During the New Year’s period, hospitals also moved 37 Covid-19 patients into intensive care. While that was nearly four times higher than the acceptable average, it was still the lowest figure reported in ten days. Over the past week, intensive care units have taken on an average of 50 patients with Covid-19 per day.

The patient total included 1,957 people in regular care, down a net total of 147 after accounting for new admissions, deaths and discharges. Intensive care units were treating 692, marking a decline of 21.

The combined coronavirus patient total on Friday afternoon was still 15 percent higher than a week ago. Over the past seven days, the hospital total has risen by a daily average of over two percent. At that rate, there would be close to 3,100 coronavirus patients in treatment on January 8.

Since the end of February, regular care has admitted 31,622 patients with the coronavirus disease. Some 6,746 Covid-19 patients were moved into intensive care during that time, with 27 percent dying while in the ICU. Figures from nonprofit organization NICE show that 6,114 patients died in hospitals while being treated for Covid-19.