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Germany was seen as an example to other European countries during the first wave of coronavirus and praised for the healthcare system, considered one of the best in the world. But now it is facing the worst cases since the start of the pandemic, reports CNN.
The number of coronavirus infections hit a record high on Friday, with nearly 24,000 new cases in 24 hours, as did the number of patients in intensive care units across the country. Official data shows that the number of COVID-19 patients in German ICUs went from 267 on September 21 to 3,615 by November 20, a 13-fold increase in just two months.
Europe’s largest economy has been through a pandemic so far quite well, compared to neighboring countries. This is partly due to its high intensive care capacity, with 33.9 beds per 100,000 inhabitants. Italy, for example, has only 8.6. But with the rise of COVID cases in Europe, the German health system is also under pressure and hospitals in some areas are getting closer and closer to their limits.
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Friday that the system could collapse in a few weeks if the current trajectory continues.
“The number of serious cases in ATI is constantly increasing. The death toll is something that is not really talked about and remains very high,” said Steffen Seibert, spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“We have not yet been able to bring the numbers back to a low level. Basically, so far we have only managed to take the first step, which is to stop the strong, sudden and exponential growth of infections and now we are stable, but the number of cases is still very, very high, “he added.
Michael Oppert, head of the ATI at Ernst von Bergmann hospital in Potsdam, is also worried about the dramatic increase in recent weeks and expects things to get worse.
“We’re not at the top of the wave now, at least as far as I can see,” he told CNN. “And we have capacity for a few more patients, but if this growth remains so rapid, I think our hospital, with over 1,000 beds, will also reach a point where we will have to send patients home or to other hospitals for treatment. “, He says.
Bettina Schade, chief nurse in the hospital’s COVID ward, described how the ward has changed in the past few weeks.
“The number of patients has increased. We receive many more patients with varying degrees of disease. For both the normal COVID section and ATI. We are currently addressing the need to put many patients from the regular COVID ward into ICU very quickly, because of patients are deteriorating very rapidly, “he says.
This is also true of many younger patients with severe symptoms, said Tillman Schumacher, an infectious disease doctor.
“We have patients here in their 30s or 40s who use a ventilator and I’m not sure they will survive,” he says.
Only two of the 16 ATI beds for COVID patients were vacant at the time of the CNN team visit, and hospital staff are already canceling non-urgent operations to leave empty beds and are planning to convert more general ICUs into units. COVID. .
Dr Uwe Janssens, head of the Interdisciplinary Association of Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) in Germany, explained what measures would be taken if the current increase in the number of cases continues. “The normal hospital program must be closed, a partial closure of normal operations and patient admissions that we can delay for a few weeks. There are people who do not need urgent surgery. These can be postponed. And in this way, we will acquire. the ability and staff to help ATI doctors, ”he says.
This is bad news for all of Europe. So far, Germany has received COVID patients from neighboring countries whose health systems are overwhelmed.
Anne Funk, head of the cross-border cooperation division in Germany’s smallest state, Saarland, which borders France, told CNN that during the first wave of the pandemic, hospitals welcomed 32 French patients. At the end of October, the Saarland offered France eight beds; so far three patients have been transferred.
“We want to help wherever we can. We don’t want to distinguish between nationalities. At the moment, we still have capabilities. We coordinate with the medical and local authorities in France, according to individual needs. We are here to help,” he said.
For the time being, the state may still have patients from abroad, but as ATI departments in Germany are rapidly crowding, it is unclear how long they will be able to do so.
Publisher: Monica Bonea
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