IVA head on corona spring: "Difficult and heavy but a team effort"

When the corona infection began to spread and the first case was found in Västmanland in March, the hospitals mobilized. Special departments were formed, staff were trained at lightning speed and the places at IVA were significantly expanded, by more than 100 percent.

Staff were transferred to intensive care even though it was not possible to introduce them in the usual way. Responsible for the intensive care operations in Västerås Håkan Scheer describes a situation that required a lot of everyone.

- In the beginning, the experience was that you were insecure, but over time the staff has got used to it and become safer, he says.

How are the staff?

- Most people express that they are tired. Some have recharged after the holidays, others are not full of energy the way you want to be, he says.

Håkan Scheer believes in an autumn with fewer very sick covid patients. At the same time, he believes that it all depends on how the autumn will be when more people meet at school or at work. How well the recommendations on distance, at home in case of symptoms and fewer contacts are followed, determines the study.

- If there is less strain on intensive care, more patients can be operated on and we can cope with the usual medical care.