Sofia Bergström started working at the central intensive care unit at the University Hospital just over a year ago and has worked with corona patients for almost the entire period.

It was only in August that the department did not have anyone admitted with covid.

It was a short breath to then receive the second wave.

They have had to increase the places again and the department now has 12 places - normally they have eight.

And in January, staff began to sign the crisis agreement.

- I work from seven in the morning to half past seven in the evening.

As long as it is needed, I will be strong, but it will be harder and harder.

It feels like we have worked hard for a long time, says Sofia Bergström.

More than this spring

The number of people cared for in hospitals for covid-19 has decreased in the past week, both in intensive care and in other wards.

But there are still more people in total care in hospitals with corona than in the spring.

The difference now is that not as many people need intensive care.

Despite the reduction in covid patients in healthcare, the situation is still very strained, according to the National Board of Health and Welfare, and of the country's 21 regions, 14 are in reinforcement mode and five in staff mode.

"Shooting for very important care"

At the central intensive care unit at the Academic Hospital, it is calmer than last spring, but it is still almost full.

At present, they have two vacancies and it is important that there is always a vacancy so that they can quickly receive new patients.

- There will be pressure to constantly try to have a plan to admit the next patient and the next patient.

Even though we currently have beds left, we are postponing care that is very important and the margins are very small, says Mikael Eriksson, chief physician at the University Hospital. 

- Even though we are admitting fewer patients this week, we have not discharged as many either.

The situation is very strained.

In the video, you meet the intensive care nurse Sofia Bergström who wakes a patient after eleven days on a respirator.