Covid ICUs have low occupancy in most of Brazil

The ICU beds (intensive care unit) that were previously exclusive to treat critical cases of Covid-19 are being gradually reduced in the country with the drop in hospitalizations. Only six states —Goiás, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia and Santa Catarina— and the Federal District have more than 30% of their ICUs occupied with patients with the disease, according to a survey by the Sheet based on data from this Monday (11).

Right after the Carnival holiday, the scenario at the beginning of March was already gradually reducing. At the time, only Sergipe and Espírito Santo registered percentages above 60% of beds used.

The picture is very different from previous months, when ICUs were crowded in different parts of Brazil. In January, for example, eight states and the Federal District had 80% occupancy rates in their exclusive beds for Covid cases.

The state of São Paulo has maintained its bed occupancy rates in the last two weeks, with no major change in the percentage.

However, the moving average of beds available for Covid fell by about 14% in the same period. Looking at a longer period of time (since March 7), there was a 40% drop in available beds and an 18 percentage point drop in the occupancy level.

A similar situation occurs in São Paulo. With little variation in ICU occupancy since the beginning of the month, the moving average of available beds has decreased by almost 10% in this period of time. Since March 7, there has been a more than 50% drop in available beds and an eight percentage point drop in occupancy.

The Federal District had 35% of ICU beds occupied this Monday. In total, the federation unit has 17 specific beds for adults with Covid, 6 of which are occupied.

According to the government of the Federal District, the decrease in cases of coronavirus made it possible to remobilize beds in the network for surgeries and care for other diseases. The federation unit also has 14 neonatal and pediatric ICU beds, 7 of which are occupied.

In Rio de Janeiro, the occupancy rate of beds for Covid is 21%. At the moment, the state has 736 ICU beds.

In Espírito Santo, the drop in Covid cases caused the state’s health system to reduce the number of beds by more than half since March, from 333 to 107 beds in the period. Occupancy dropped from 62% to 27%.

In Pernambuco, the proportional number of internees increased from 52% to 54% in one month. However, the absolute number has plummeted as the number of ICU beds available for severe acute respiratory syndrome has declined from 1,071 to 789.

The state government monitors the indicators in the middle of Holy Week, a period in which the flow of people traveling and going to the homes of friends and relatives intensifies. This will be the first weekend in Pernambuco after the release of the use of masks in open spaces.

Among the northeastern states, Piauí recorded the highest bed occupancy rate: this Monday, the state had 61% occupancy in its 180 ICU beds for Covid.

In the last survey, on March 7, Piauí had 145 beds, with an occupancy rate of 48% for treating severe cases of the disease.

In Bahia, the occupancy of ICU beds for patients with coronavirus is 15%, compared to 31% recorded at the beginning of March.

In this interval, with the drop in hospitalizations, 185 beds were disabled in the state, which went from 585 to 400 ICU vacancies.

In Ceará, the occupancy rate dropped from 36% to 27%, from March 7 to April 11. In that interval, 169 beds were deactivated — today there are 107 vacancies.

In Rio Grande do Norte, only 10% of the 80 ICU beds for Covid are filled. In Natal, 4 of the 9 ICU beds for Covid are occupied.​

In Rio Grande do Sul, although the occupation of ICU beds in general has increased (the state does not count exclusive beds for Covid), the units have received fewer patients with coronavirus.

While at the beginning of March there were 391 people hospitalized in the ICU with a diagnosis or suspicion of Covid, that number in the second was 168.

In Santa Catarina and Paraná, both the number of beds reserved for Covid and their occupancy dropped. On March 7, Santa Catarina had 47% of its 385 Covid beds occupied, today there are 34% of the 95 beds, totaling 32 patients with the disease.

In Paraná, the occupancy percentage dropped from 43% to 25% and the number of beds went from 709 to 491 – the state adds up to 122 hospitalizations due to Covid.

In the Midwest, in Goiás, occupancy is 48% in the 67 therapy beds available for Covid cases. In the first week of March, there were 194 ICU beds available.

The decrease is also observed in the capital Goiânia, where 10% of the 65 ICU beds for Covid are occupied.

In Mato Grosso do Sul, bed occupancy is also low, with 12% of units occupied compared to 44% on March 7. Currently, the state has 194 ICU beds.

In the North region, Amazonas has an occupancy rate of 20%. The number of beds available for Covid was reduced from 136 in March to 49 in April.

There was a reduction in ICU beds for adults with Covid-19 also in Rondônia, with vacancies going from 71 to 53 in the period. In the capital Porto Velho, the decrease was from 53 to 34.

Occupancy on Monday was 37%, up from 35% on March 7. The state hospital that records the highest number of ICU beds in use for adults is Cemetron, in the capital.

In it, out of a total of 22 vacancies, 11 are occupied. However, so far, 10 cases are of patients suspected of having the disease, and only 1 had a confirmed picture for Covid-19.