Friday, October 2, there were 26 patients in intensive care at the Toulouse University Hospital, to which were added 10 people in intensive care.

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F. Scheiber - Sipa

  • The Toulouse University Hospital is currently welcoming 26 intensive care patients.

  • They have the same profile as those of the first wave but are treated differently.

  • 43 Haute-Garonne nursing homes are affected by the virus, 25 have become clusters.

At Toulouse University Hospital, "the increase in Covid activity is witness to what is happening in the general population".

"The consequences of the rate of infection of the inhabitants affect us with a week of delay for the hospitalizations, and two weeks for the resuscitations", explains Marc Penaud, its director, confronted with a "sharp increase" these last two weeks.

The number of hospitalizations increased from 54 to 96, that of patients in intensive care has exactly doubled to reach 26 patients to which are added 10 people in intensive care.

Profiles that don't change

For the time being, caregivers are dealing with the same serious cases as in the first wave: “mostly overweight men with high blood pressure,” says Béatrice Riu-Poulenc, head of intensive care at Purpan.

The proportion of elderly patients has “decreased a bit” compared to spring, perhaps a sign that they are protecting themselves better.

The real difference is that most of these patients were initially screened.

“We have traceability that we did not have.

We now see that the contaminations are often family and social, between friends, ”says the doctor.

Less aggressive and shorter sheaves

Also compared to the first wave, the time spent in intensive care is shorter.

"Ten days on average against three weeks before," notes virologist Pierre Delobel.

With experience, teams also adopt less invasive techniques.

Patients are less intubated in favor of high flow oxygenation, so they are more often conscious.

"Thanks to clinical trials, the spectrum of treatments has been reduced to a single antiviral, Remdesivir, which sometimes has an effect, even if it is modest," adds Pierre Delobel.

And now the early use of corticosteroid therapy allows some patients to pass the course ”.

A rate of positivity which marks the step and antigenic tests

The biologist Jacques Izopet has the impression that the positivity rate of the tests in Toulouse, around 10% which is already very high, is marking time but he does not want to draw any conclusions yet.

The queues in the drives are also less provided, but this can also mean that the inhabitants are discouraged or that they give in less to the comfort screening.

The timeframe for results has “improved”.

"From 24 to 48 hours", in accordance with the instructions, for priority cases.

Jacques Izopet announces the arrival of antigenic tests "faster" (the result arrives in less than 30 minutes) but also "less sensitive".

They will be used for "mass screening, in companies or communities for example".

A very tense situation in nursing homes

The geriatrician Yves Rolland who accompanies the nursing homes of Haute-Garonne confesses a "concern".

There are now 25 clusters, including 7 with between 10 and 20 residents or employees affected.

"The residents do not go out, so they are contaminated by what is happening outside," insists the specialist who calls more than ever "seriously" and respect for barrier gestures throughout the population.

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