More patients crown than ever

According to the Ministry of Health, 571 patients with corona infection are currently in clinics in the Saarland, more than ever since the start of the pandemic. 35 of them are hospitalized in intensive care.

Infection is often an accidental finding

Corona infection is often an accidental finding and is only discovered during the initial examination in the hospital. In the Marienhaus Clinic in Saarlouis and the SHG Clinic in Völklingen, Covid disease was only the reason for hospitalization for one in three people, in the Saarbrücken Clinic for about 60 percent of Covid patients.

Still dangerous for seriously ill patients

Doctors also note in the Homburg University Hospital that corona infection is increasingly just a secondary diagnosis. The ICU doctor, Professor Philipp Lepper, warned against taking it lightly.

“Even if Covid infection is an accidental finding, you shouldn’t trivialize the infection,” he said in the interview with SR – especially with regards to ICU patients. “For many of these very sick people, this sometimes tip the scales.”

Only at the beginning of the wave?

At the university hospital, the percentage of Covid ICU cases among all Covid patients is significantly higher than in other hospitals. With 19 patients currently in intensive care, one is already on a similar level to previous waves, says Lepper. “And we have to assume that we are still in early autumn, perhaps at the beginning of the wave,” says Lepper.

For comparison: last year, only 50 Covid patients were treated in hospital at the same time: by mid-December the number had risen to 340, more than six times that.

The staff shortage worsens

In this context, Lepper appeals to the population to take current development seriously and help curb the spread of the virus again.

Furthermore, the sharp increase in the number of cases not only increases the number of patients, but also the most specialized personnel fall ill again, a problem that represents a challenge for all hospitals. Coupled with the already existing shortage of skilled workers, according to Homburg there is hardly any spare capacity for any load peaks.

The Saarbrücken clinic issued a similar statement: “The problem will not be the number of beds, but the number of people who can care for patients,” a spokesperson said. And the burden is increasing rapidly at the moment.

Special vaccination campaigns are again planned

In this context, the hospital once again stressed the importance of vaccination. The vaccine adapted to the current variants of the virus has been available in the Saarland since the end of September. The Saarbrücken clinic again carries out special vaccination campaigns with the vaccination bus – Saturday morning on Dudoplatz and a week later at noon on Burbacher Markt.

A decision on stricter measures is awaited

It is still unclear whether the crown measures will be tightened. The Council of Ministers consulted with experts on Tuesday, but had not yet made a decision. But that decision could come soon.