Pressure on Portugal's health system could prompt further restrictions

The health minister has warned that the country’s national health service was under serious pressure and that further restrictive measures could be coming as the number of patients in intensive care approached record levels.

in News · 27 Oct 2020, 09:45 · 7 Comments

A total of 1,672 people were in hospital as of Monday, with 240 in intensive care units - close to the peak of 271 reached in April. The health system, which prior to the pandemic had the lowest number of critical care beds per 100,000 inhabitants in Europe, can accommodate a maximum of 800 COVID-19 patients in ICUs.

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Comments

So far 2,343 people have died from Covid in Portugal during 2020. Last year 3,331 people died from the flu in Portugal. Two more months until the end of 2020 and the numbers should be close. This year Portugal is not counting flu deaths just Covid ones. An average of 4,500 people were infected daily with the flu last year.

By Medico from Lisbon on 27 Oct 2020, 10:43

There have been approximately 1,160,421 Covid 19 related deaths reported worldwide.

The World Health Organization estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide.

Extreme measures have been taken to prevent the spread of Covid 19 and that has reduced the number of deaths significantly.

The issue is not just the number of deaths but the ability of health services to cope with the numbers. Failure to do so would cause huge stress for both patients and healthcare workers.

By BD Condell from Algarve on 27 Oct 2020, 17:14

@Medico; the same in other countries......

By Pedro from Lisbon on 27 Oct 2020, 18:40

So 1672 in hospital.... I understand from the internet that there are about 35,000 hospital beds in Portugal, so a bit under 5% Covid occupancy.
As for ICU - according to the article 30% of ICU units occupied.
I don't understand how 30% occupancy can be "serious pressure".

By Davide from Algarve on 27 Oct 2020, 18:55

Reaction to medico: one those wonder though how many more would have died without the resrtrictions and how much lower the number of people dying from flu would be if we were more carefull

By Patricia from Algarve on 28 Oct 2020, 06:19

If there was 2 million people in hospital maybe you could call it a pandemic but 271 really isn't anywhere near close to a pandemic. Just what you would expect in an ageing population eating oily steaks and eggs. It could have been predicted decades ago. Masks, social distancing, lockdown etc have not resulted in a single life saved. There is no evidence of any contagion and such measures do nothing to improve peoples diet, vitamin D levels etc. Indeed they acheive the opposite promoting take away food and shopping infrequently so people eat less ripe fruits and fresh salads. The only reason there isn't a huge increase in deaths caused by this propaganda is because of efforts from people with actual real health knowledge to promote sun bathing, shunning fear and healthy eating that have countered the effects of all this propaganda.

By Pedro from Lisbon on 28 Oct 2020, 07:58

There are a lot of sick people in health food stores. And talk about fear, they use it to sucker people into spending 2 or 3 times what they would spend at a regular grocery store.

By William from Other on 28 Oct 2020, 09:50