The regional director on care sites: "We feel so safe"

In the past, the Public Health Authority has based on how the infection spread in Wuhan, China, and pointed out a need for outpatient care in the regions in a worst-case scenario of the infection. Instead, the new calculations are based on what the curve looks like in Lombardy, Italy - and that means a shock increase in the places of care that one calculates is needed.

In the Kalmar Region, for example, it is estimated that at a worst stage of the pandemic, up to 230 outpatient sites may be needed for covid-19 patients. This is an increase of 133 care places from the assessment previously made - and about 130 more than the region says it has today.

- The former scenario would have a huge impact on health care, but we still considered it feasible. With this volume, it is much more difficult to reach, says Johan Rosenqvist, Director of Health in the Kalmar Region.

The big problem would not be getting so many more outpatient places, but the 13 additional intensive care places added in the new calculations, says Johan Rosenqvist. A single IVA patient with covid-19 is very resource intensive, and requires both the right equipment, the right premises and the right expertise of the staff.

- If we are going to get there, we will need outside help, says Johan Rosenqvist.

In the Kronoberg region, the need for outpatient care in a worst-case scenario has been calculated from previous 67 paragraphs to 173. But here, little attention is paid to the new calculations of the Public Health Authority:

- Our assessment now is that these figures are not comparable to Swedish conditions, says Martin Myrskog, regional director.

Instead, one compares one's preparedness in terms of care locations with how the infectious curve looks and now looks in the Stockholm, Södermanland and Östergötland region.

- We are a few weeks behind, but hope that the development we see there does not affect us in the same way. In a couple of weeks we have been able to take a lot of measures, and can prepare ourselves in the healthcare and our municipalities in a different way. The awareness of the population is also increasing. We feel right so secure, says Martin Myrskog.

He, like Johan Rosenqvist, assumes that help is offered from other regions of the country, both with staff, places of care and equipment, if the situation becomes acute in Småland:

- We have now taken two IVA patients from Södermanland to Kronoberg, and in a worst case scenario we assume that we can also get help from other regions.