As the number of patients with the new corona increases rapidly in Osaka, there is a sense of crisis in the medical field.

Osaka University Children's Surveillance Hospital in Suita City, Osaka, has secured 10 beds for critically ill patients with the new corona.



Since last weekend, we have received a series of requests for acceptance, and one new person has been hospitalized for two days, and the floor is almost full.

Akinori Uchiyama, Deputy Director of the Intensive Care Unit, Osaka University Children's Surgical Hospital, said, "Severely ill patients take at least a week to get better, so if they increase at this pace, they will soon become full. The rise is quick, and if things continue as they are, the number of people at the peak of the third wave may be exceeded. "



According to the hospital, most of the newly accepted critically ill patients are in their 50s and 60s, and Deputy Director Uchiyama said, "There are more young people in their 70s and 80s than before. I get the impression that it is quite widespread because I am infected in my normal life. "



Mutant viruses are worried that hospitals may lead to further bed strain.



According to the standards set by the government, a person infected with the mutant virus must be discharged from the hospital by performing two PCR tests at least 24 hours apart, and all of them must be negative.



It is more severe than traditional virus-infected people who can recover and be discharged after a period of time.

In order to make room for critically ill patients, the hospital used to transfer patients with calm symptoms and ventilator disengagement to a hospital that accepts moderately ill patients.



However, as the number of patients infected with the mutated virus increases, it may be difficult to leave the hospital due to strict standards.



Deputy Director Uchiyama said, "If a patient cannot be discharged at the hospital to which he / she is transferred, the patient's discharge cycle will not go well, and as a result, there may be a shortage of beds."

"Bed operation rate" soars due to rapid increase in infection

As the number of people newly confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus is increasing, there is also a "bed operation rate" that indicates the number of beds that can be hospitalized immediately in Osaka Prefecture and how much they are filled. It is skyrocketing.



The bed occupancy rate in Osaka Prefecture continues to decline until mid-March after the state of emergency is lifted, and at one point ▽ severe beds have fallen to 29.8% and ▽ mild and moderate beds have fallen to 25.4%. I did.



However, it started to rise from the end of March, and on the 1st, ▽ severe beds increased to 61.5% ▽ moderate and mild beds increased to 53%.



In particular, the operation rate of critically ill beds was 35.5% as of the 25th of last month, an increase of about 25 points in a week.