A third of states are already on alert for ICU beds for Covid

At least a third of states are already on critical or intermediate alert for the occupation of public ICU beds for Covid. According to a bulletin released by Fiocruz, nine units of the Federation and ten capitals were in this situation until the last Monday (10).

Pernambuco is the only state that appears with more than 80% of vacancies filled. Then come the Federal District, Pará, Espírito Santo, Ceará, Goiás, Piauí, Bahia and Tocantins, with rates from 74% to 61% — Roraima and Mato Grosso do Sul were without data.

The capitals are experiencing the most critical situation, especially Goiânia, which already has 94% of beds for serious cases occupied. Then there is Fortaleza (88%), Belo Horizonte (84%) and Recife (80%). Above 60% are also Vitória, Porto Velho, Brasília, Salvador, Maceió and Macapá.

The survey, carried out by the Covid-19 Observatory group, shows that these rates have risen rapidly in the last month. Just five days earlier, for example, there were only three states on intermediate alert, which suggests that this Thursday (13th) the scenario could be worse.

The researchers point out, however, that today the number of beds available is different and the number of ICU admissions is still much lower than that observed on August 2, when data began to be observed and vacancies began to be closed.

“Without minimizing concerns about the new moment of the pandemic, it is essential to ratify the idea that there is another scenario with vaccination and the characteristics of the omicron. cases is already demanding, by managers, attention and activation of contingency plans”, they write.

The City of Rio de Janeiro, for example, reopened 50 beds at the Ronaldo Gazolla referral hospital (north zone), which had closed the Covid sector in November. It should also put 30 more vacancies in operation each day and requested expansion in state and federal units.

At Christmas, there were 12 people hospitalized in the city’s public network, a number that jumped to 264 this Thursday (2,100%). The average wait for a bed is already more than three days. Most of those hospitalized did not complete the vaccination schedule, according to the Municipal Health Department.

“The coming weeks need to be monitored and it is expected that the number of new Covid-19 cases will still reach much higher levels, putting pressure on demand for health services, which include ward and ICU beds”, warn the researchers.

They also emphasize that, as important as reopening beds, it is to reorganize the network to account for the absence of professionals on sick leave, ensure the efficiency of primary care with teleservice, for example, and continue with vaccination.

“Services of greater complexity require prior organization for the supply of inputs and training and availability of teams. It is prudent for managers to carry out local and especially regional analyzes so that they can prepare in advance for an eventual increase in demand”, they recall — a year ago , a collapse in Manaus left patients without oxygen.

Finally, the document emphasizes that at this time it is essential to strengthen preventive measures, with the mandatory use of masks in public places, the requirement for a vaccination passport and the encouragement of physical distance and constant hand hygiene.