Covid-19: in Geneva, an explosion of hospitalizations of an unprecedented scale
All of French-speaking Switzerland is struggling to cope with the explosion in hospitalizations linked to Covid-19.
According to the WHO, Geneva has even become the region of Europe with the highest rate of contamination.
Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
"We are at the dawn of a health disaster", the call for help comes from a Swiss doctor stationed at the hospital in Friborg.
Like all of French-speaking Switzerland, the establishment is struggling to cope with the explosion in hospitalizations linked to Covid-19.
A situation unimaginable a few months ago, when Switzerland welcomed patients from overwhelmed French hospitals.
According to the WHO, Geneva has even become the region of Europe with the highest rate of contamination.
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With our correspondent in Geneva
,
Jérémie Lanche
In all, 580 patients are hospitalized for Covid-19.
Thirty are in intensive care and 54 in intermediate care.
This is unheard of at HUG, Geneva University Hospitals.
“
In a way, we are facing a situation that is of unprecedented magnitude.
We manage to cope with it to prevent it from becoming a disaster,
”explains Bertrand Levrat, who heads the establishment.
Eight patients have already been helicoptered to German-speaking Switzerland, where the pressure is less.
The HUG feared having to postpone certain urgent operations, so far they have not had to do so.
But it is still impossible to know if the hospitalization curve will slow down, believes the head of internal medicine Jean-Luc Reny.
“
We see a wave coming over us, but we don't see where the top will be.
We are 11 days away from the semi-containment measures that have been put in place in the canton of Geneva, so we still have to wait a few days to start to see the effects.
But in the population, the prevalence remains high with more than 30% of tests which are positive in patients who come for a test
”, specifies Jean-Luc Reny.
In an attempt to ease the pressure on caregivers, the Swiss government has decided to call in the army for reinforcements.
In all, 2,500 soldiers will be mobilized to provide basic care to the sick.
►
To read: Covid-19: faced with the explosion of cases, Switzerland is making its army available to the cantons
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