Contamination is exploding in the department. The medical sector is organizing itself to cope without altering the patient care pathway.
More than 900 people have been infected by Covid in one week in the Gers. With an incidence rate which reached almost 502 on Wednesday, the department is experiencing a violent surge in detected cases. This results in a sharp increase in hospitalizations. About 80% of hospitalizations concern people who have not been vaccinated, or vaccinated for well over 5 months, often elderly and suffering from co-morbidities. One of the two deaths, which occurred in the last 8 days, concerned an 86-year-old man, never vaccinated.
Exponential curve
“We went from Mont Blanc to Everest in a week, sighs the director of the Gers ARS, Didier-Pier Florentin. We have 56 people hospitalized this Wednesday, including 5 in intensive care, the Auch hospital center welcomes 38 sick to him alone. ” Sign of the sharp rise in the epidemic, 12 of the 30 patients treated in Auch, in so-called conventional medicine, were admitted within 48 hours.
Faced with this worrying curve, the regional ARS activated the white plan. In phase 3, in Auch, the white plan does not provide for canceling all interventions.
“Deprogramming is not on the agenda. Especially since there are people who have seen their medical career very disrupted for two years. We must guarantee the medical chances of patients. We are going to mobilize the capacities. other establishments, including home hospitalization, to be able to provide the necessary care. Chemo, transfusions, etc. all possible outpatient care will be maintained. ” But Didier-Pier Florentin recognizes it: “It’s getting complicated”.
Exhaustion
Forecasts point to a sharp peak, starting next week, before stabilizing. Should we hope for a start from the recalcitrant? To have gone to the vaccination center, the director of the ARS noted that “some come: perhaps the proximity of the end of year celebrations?” The staff of the Auch hospital is overwhelmed, according to its director, Sylvie Lacarrière. “We have as many Covid patients as non-Covid arriving in the emergency room. The beds are starting to run out.” Half of the hospital’s resuscitation capacity – the only service in the department – is already occupied by Covid cases. “We are preparing for the announced peak, by opening follow-up care and rehabilitation beds (SSR), and freeing up places in medicine. But we still ask a lot of the staff …”
The permanent oscillation between crisis and decline in the epidemic leaves no time for rest for teams, medical or not. “The saturation is real. This 5th wave is exhausting everyone. People really need to be reminded of their vaccinations, this will be the only way to reduce hospitalizations.”
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