In the Bouches-du-Rhône, and particularly in Marseille, the hospital services have almost no more beds available for patients with Covid-19.
- Of the 70 places reserved for Covid patients in intensive care in the Bouches-du-Rhône, 67 are currently occupied.
- The profile of patients admitted to intensive care is the same as during the months of March-April: over 65s or overweight people.
- The incidence rate is the highest in France with 177 contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants, whereas it is 50 per 100,000 on average in the country.
The health situation is deteriorating a little more every day in the Bouches-du-Rhône. “Our service is almost saturated, with a significant increase in cases in PACA, and in particular in Bouches-du-Rhôneconfirm to France info Lionel Velly, member of the anesthesia-resuscitation service at La Timone University Hospital in Marseille. We have more than 12 patients in 24 hours in PACA and in particular more than 6 in Bouches-du-Rhône. On La Timone we have 16 beds available for Covid-19 patients and we are currently at 13 beds and soon 14 with a patient who has just arrived.”
An incomparable situation compared to last March
This Sunday, Public Health France announced that the hospitals in the department have 261 people hospitalized. More glaringly, of the 70 places reserved for Covid patients in intensive care, 67 are currently occupied. Its incidence rate is the highest in France with 177 contaminations per 100,000 inhabitants while it is 50 per 100,000 on average in the country. A figure on the rise since it was 151 infections per 100,000 inhabitants a week ago.
In addition to a continued rise in the number of daily cases, Lionel Velly has seen a “exponential increase” positive cases of elderly patients. “This is what scares us”, he admits. However, this rebound cannot be compared to the health situation last March. “All the forces were devoted to the Covid, all the health establishments were full of Covid patients, as well as the intensive care units (…) Today, the intensive care units are full of non-Covid patients, especially as we catch up all the patients we couldn’t treat in March in April”, reminded Dominique Rossi, head of the urology department, president of the medical commission for the establishment of the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (APHM), to RTL.
Barrier gestures, a fundamental measure
In addition, the profile of patients admitted to intensive care is the same as during the months of March-April. “On patients in intensive care, they are the same as in the springsays Laurent Papazian, head of the intensive care unit at the Nord hospital in Marseille, to BFM-TV. The majority of them are over 65, but there are also 30- and 40-somethings whose only risk factor is being a little chubby. We have one in his thirties who is just overweight and has no other history.”
To stem this epidemic resumption, measures have been taken in the department. The prefecture first imposed the closure of bars and restaurants between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. before pushing back the closure to 12:30 a.m. The obligation to wear a mask outdoors has been extended throughout the department. “Every day, we respect barrier gestures by working near patients who are Covid-19 and we have no contamination of our staff. So these barrier gestures are fundamental”, supports Lionel Velly.
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