Although in recent weeks the use of beds and ventilators in hospitals has decreased, a new variant of COVID-19 and the effects of Christmas celebrations could cause another increase in the use of the country’s medical resources, according to health experts consulted by Metro.
The Department of Health yesterday recorded, in its daily report, that some 390 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, which could mean a decrease in occupied beds in the country’s hospital system after November and in the first part of December reported the highest numbers of hospitalizations since the pandemic began. On December 10, for example, the highest peak in adult bed utilization by COVID-19 was recorded for a total of 657.
In the line of ventilators, similar figures were recorded in November and December and, at its highest point, the use of this medical equipment climbed to 118 ventilators used for COVID-19 patients, the highest number since the beginning of the crisis health worker in the country. While in the line of intensive beds for COVID-19, the highest figures were reached on November 24, with 110 patients under this care, and 109 patients in intensive care on December 11. Like hospitalizations and ventilators, use of intensive care beds climbed to the highest figures in November and December. Yesterday 76 patients were registered under this intensive care.
For epidemiologist Ángeles Rodríguez, although there has been a reduction in the use of beds, ventilators and intensive care, the effects of family gatherings during the Christmas period could be registered in the coming days. The infectologist also did not rule out that the figures in these lines could increase in the coming days due to these activities. He added, however, that, in previous years, the use of hospital services tends to increase after the Christmas cycle due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages and other foods that could deteriorate people’s health.
“The effect of family reunions and, no matter how much it is said, people are not very disciplined, [so] they can go up [the numbers]. It should start to rise in the next few days because the first effects of Christmas day have to be seen these days. We are talking about 14 to 21 days that we can start to see it… Until February we must be seeing the consequences, “he said.
“Sure and there is a change in the Executive Order. That is another thing that can influence future weeks so we will see, “added Rodríguez, who mentioned that it is early to anticipate whether the current executive order could be effective in avoiding an increase in the use of hospital resources due to insufficient of data in the Christmas period.
For his part, Víctor Ramos, president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, stated that the prohibition of alcoholic beverages imposed by former governor Wanda Vázquez could have contributed to the reduction in the use of these medical services. Ramos pointed out that the increase in COVID-19 cases and the use of hospital resources in November and December could have been caused by the Thanksgiving festivities on November 26.
“The positivity is still high, but it’s clearly not compromising the hospital system, which is good. And you have to observe it because the other factor at stake would be the new strain [of COVID-19] that increases cases regardless of whether there are special holidays or not. So you have to be aware, ”said Ramos. According to the Institute of Statistics, the positivity rate for the coronavirus is 12.7%. Health experts and organizations recommend that, before considering easing, the positivity rate should not exceed the 5% threshold.
Ramos, for his part, was emphatic that the country’s authorities must be alert to the new variant of COVID-19 -which according to experts is more infectious- which, according to reports from the Associated Press, the first case was registered on 31 December. December in Florida after being discovered a few days earlier in Britain.
“You have to be careful not to see an increase in admissions for no specific reason as in England, where they noticed a new strain when there was a shot in hospitalizations for no apparent reason. So you have to be aware of that because the new strain already has to be in Puerto Rico because it was in Florida. You have to be vigilant and monitor every day, “said Ramos.
While Jaime Plá, president of the Hospital Association, indicated that, although it is too early to anticipate the effect of the Three Kings Day festivities, they did not register a “significant rebound” in the use of hospital resources despite the fact that the agency anticipated an increase after the Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“It seems to me that from this situation, following this pace it is taking, it is possible that we have been able to control, in part, the problem of hospitalizations in Puerto Rico, which I understand that we still have a constant number of hospitalizations, about 400,” said Plá, who estimated that the next significant drop could come as the number of people vaccinated increases.