Covid hospitalizations doubled last week as patient total tops 600; Peak likely this week
Hospitals admitted 538 people last week for treatment of Covid-19 over the past seven days, according to data from the RIVM and hospital monitor NICE. That was 98 percent higher compared to the previous week, the RIVM said on Tuesday.
"The peak in hospital admissions is expected to be reached this week," the RIVM said. "Since the end of June, we have seen an increase in hospital admissions and ICU admissions in all age groups. The increase for both hospital and ICU admissions was strongest for people in the 40-59 and 60-79 age groups."
The data showed that 110 of those admitted this past week were between the ages of 20 and 39, and 20 patients were even younger. Some 115 of the 538 hospitalized patients were immediately sent to an intensive care unit. That was more than triple the 33 ICU admissions from the previous week.
There were 616 patients in admitted care on Tuesday afternoon, according to patient coordination office LCPS. That was the highest since June 15, and the first time in 41 days that the patient total topped six hundred. Daily figures from the LCPS suggested the increase was stabilizing after two weeks of increases.
The patient total was 48 percent higher compared to a week ago. A similar increase would put the patient figure at 916 by next Tuesday.
The combined patient total rose by seven percent just compared to Monday afternoon. The intensive care units were treating 159 people with the coronavirus disease, a net increase of 19 after accounting for admissions, discharges and deaths. The other 457 patients were in regular care wards, a net increase of 20.
New patient admissions were the highest in two months, with 117 Covid-19 patients admitted into care between Monday and Tuesday afternoon. That pushed the seven-day moving average up to 88, the largest value since June 3.
Of the new admissions, 17 were sent directly to intensive care units, according to the LCPS. On average, 14 patients were sent to ICU over each of the past seven days.
To date, intensive care units have treated 13,029 people with the coronavirus disease, with 72 percent surviving the ordeal, according to NICE. Regular care wards have treated 58,783 Covid-19 patients with an 87 percent survival rate.