Via TheLocal.se: Stockholm hospitals brace for 'increasing coronavirus storm'. Excerpt:
The demand for health care in Stockholm is growing rapidly, health director in the Stockholm region Björn Eriksson said on Monday as the coronavirus outbreak continues to pile pressure on hospitals. But he said that thus far, the capital has been well prepared.
"We can see right now that the storm is here and it is increasing in strength. The trend is very clear and it is that the need for care is increasing rapidly day by day," the healthcare director told reporters.
The pressure on intensive care units in Stockholm's hospitals is increasing drastically but authorities say the system has so far managed to cope.
"Thus far the health care system has been one step ahead of the virus", Eriksson told Swedish radio.
Over the last couple of days, Stockholm’s health care system has been completely transformed to manage the rise in patients in need of medical assistance.
Hospitals have doubled their intensive care capacity within ten days, Eriksson told a press conference Monday morning. The next step is to triple capacity.
"We do not see any slowdown in the rate of increase; quite the contrary," Eriksson said. But he added: "Right now, we have available capacity at the hospitals, because we have been able to expand capacity so much. It's about hoping for the best but preparing for the worst."
A field hospital has been installed just outside Stockholm, to add 140 beds to the 450 already made available for those being treated for Covid-19. Only patients being treated for the new virus will receive care at the field hospital, and none have been treated there so far.
If needed, it will be possible to expand the field hospital to hold 600 beds, and this is expected to be complete before Easter.
A key task at the field hospital was preparing to offer oxygen treatment, which is used in the care of most patients who are hospitalised with Covid-19. Getting such a large oxygen tank in place usually takes three to four months, but in the new field hospital this was done in three days.
According to the latest figures, the Stockholm region has had 1,657 confirmed cases and 68 fatalities as of the afternoon of March 29th.
