It remains to be seen how high hospital figures will continue to rise in the coming period. “We could see the number of occupied beds in intensive care double and even more than double,” estimates Steven Van Gucht cautiously. “We are now with 229 occupied beds. I do hope that we can stay below 500 beds, but then it must be capped in time.”
To top off those numbers, Steven Van Gucht reminds us that the recommendations that are still there can still make a difference. In concrete terms, Van Gucht makes three recommendations:
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If you feel sick, it is very important that you stay at home and get tested.
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If you have not yet been vaccinated, you should still be vaccinated against covid. Van Gucht also recommends older people and people with underlying conditions to be vaccinated against the flu.
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Also think about the mouth mask: if you have a sore throat or a runny nose, assume that it can be a mild form of the coronavirus and that you can infect other people. Stay home or wear a mask and say you’re just doing that as a precaution.
“These are small things that we can do, but can have a very big effect on the size of the wave ahead. That can make a world of difference for hospitals,” concludes Van Gucht.
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