Fewer than 50 Covid-19 patients sent to the ICU this week; ICU total at 10-week low

Fewer than 50 Covid-19 patients in the Netherlands were admitted to an intensive care unit during the past seven days, the lowest for any week-long period since mid-July. An average of just under 7 patients were sent to an ICU each of the past seven days when they were first hospitalized, according to data from patient coordination office LCPS.

Intensive care admissions have fallen by about a third in a week. On average, hospitals took on 41 patients with the coronavirus disease each of the past seven days, including 34 sent to the regular care wards. Regular care admissions have fallen at a slower pace compared to ICU admissions. The average of 41 daily patients has gone down 13 percent compared to a week earlier.

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 437 patients with Covid-19 on Friday, the lowest amount since July 22. The figure was 4 percent lower compared to Thursday afternoon, and 11 percent lower versus last Friday. A similar 11 percent drop would bring the hospital figure to about 390.

The current total included 132 patients in intensive care units, also the lowest figure since July 24. The ICU total fell by 8 in a day, after accounting for new patient admissions, discharges and deaths. There were 230 patients in the ICU on August 24, the intensive care peak during the fourth wave of coronavirus infections. The other 305 patients were in regular care wards. That was 11 fewer compared to Thursday.

Hospitals admitted 52 patients with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, the most out of any day this week. Patient coordination office LCPS said that 45 of them were admitted into regular care wards, and 7 were sent directly to an ICU.

A total of 1,741 more people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, according to raw data from the RIVM. That brought the seven-day moving average up less than 1 percent to 1,664. The average, based solely on raw data, has fallen by about 5 percent in a week. It only includes those tested by the GGD, and not people who scheduled a coronavirus test to travel, or to access a restaurant, cinema or other venue.

The decrease in infections levelled off by mid-week, with four consecutive days of over 1,700 diagnosed infections. For seven days in a row, the raw moving average has been between 1,600 and 1,700. That figure could remain within that range if weekend testing figures remain low as has consistently been the case.

Rotterdam led all cities with 123 new infections, the most there in ten days. It was nearly a fourth higher than the city's moving average of 99. Another 71 infections were found among Amsterdam residents, only slightly above the capital's average of 68. In The Hague, 66 people tested positive for the viral infection, almost 11 percent below its mean of 74.

The Netherlands recorded 2,004,763 positive coronavirus tests since the start of the pandemic.