According to Bart Berden, this corona wave will last much longer than last time. In the Omroep Brabant program KRAAK. says the chairman of the Regional Consultation Acute Care (ROAZ) that he does not expect this wave to be over before the end of the year.
“The growth in the number of infections is leveling off every day”, says Berden, also chairman of the board of the Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital (ETZ). “But the number of positive people is still very high. So if the infection rate is now 0.8, we are very proud.” ‘
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But that still means that ten people who are infected today will have infected eight more people in a few days, the ROAZ chairman explains. “As a result, this wave is flattening out very slowly and will last longer than last time. This wave will last until the turn of the year.”
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Berden thinks it is too late for stricter measures. “They will no longer help in the short term.” Yet he would welcome stricter measures. “It helps speed up the wave run-down and I would be happy about that.
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According to him, it is worrying that healthcare staff is still struggling with the aftermath of the first wave. Absenteeism is very high at 6 to 11 percent.
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“What we find so bad is that absenteeism is higher in the critical departments,” explains Berden. “There is disruption in hospitals and other care institutions such as nursing homes and also in general practitioners.
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People in healthcare are tired, the ROAZ chairman notes. “It is extremely stressful for the employees. They will not lose it after a few days or weeks.”
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In particular, healthcare needs more people. “We have become too efficient. The number of employees is too small,” said Berden. “Training capacity must be increased and more people must be employed in care.”
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In the short term, the coming days should show whether the leveling off is continuing. “It will be another exciting week.”
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