Europe 1 with AFP 12:01, November 22, 2021
The head of the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Martin Hirsch, said his establishments were not expecting a fifth wave before the end of December or January.
But 13% of the AP-HP beds are closed due to lack of staff.
In the event of an epidemic rebound, the situation could be critical.
The number of Covid patients hospitalized in critical care is "relatively stable" and the consequences on the hospital of the 5th wave, "if it is to occur", are not expected before "the end of December or in January", said Monday the boss of the AP-HP Martin Hirsch.
"The number of hospitalized patients is not increasing too quickly," assured France Inter the director general of Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris.
"For critical care, it has been relatively stable for 15 days. It is believed that the sharp increase, if it is to occur, would rather occur in late December or January than now."
>> READ ALSO -
Covid-19: hospitals unable to manage an influx of patients at Christmas according to the DGS
13% of beds closed at AP-HP
"The hospital is in a difficult situation. Today, it is not the Covid patients," he detailed, citing the flu or seasonal childhood illnesses such as bronchiolitis.
"Forecasts are extremely difficult to make today."
"In Ile-de-France, there are a little less than 300 patients in critical care, including a third at the AP-HP, and there are a little less than 600 patients hospitalized without critical care. The rate of patients Covid in intensive care beds is about a quarter, "he added.
The boss of the AP-HP also indicated that a thousand positions out of about 18,000 were currently unfilled at the AP-HP.
"It weighs, not only on operations, he assured. Because of this lack of nurses, we have roughly 13% of our beds closed at the AP-HP. We do not take 13% of fewer patients but 4 or 5% in hospital. On the other hand, in day hospitals we take 5% more patients. "
The fifth wave is approaching
"We treat about as many patients with a little less staff and with a certain number of closed beds. Which partly explains the tensions. Everyone squeezes their buttocks. It can't last for months and months well. obviously ", warned the person in charge of the AP-HP.
The 5th wave starts "in a dazzling fashion", government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Sunday.
On average calculated over seven days, the number of daily cases almost doubled in one week: it was 18,189, against 10,023 seven days earlier.
This represents an increase of 81.4%.
On Sunday, 8,038 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized in France, including 1,339 in critical care services (the most serious cases), against 6,500 and 1,000 respectively a month earlier.