RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – For the first time since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic in Brazil, most Brazilian states record over 70 percent of public intensive care beds occupied for the treatment of Covid-19. A survey shows that 17 of the 26 states now have at least seven out of ten ICU (Intensive Care Unit) beds occupied. In three of them – Ceará, Amapá and Pernambuco – the occupancy rate exceeds 90 percent.
The increase in the number of critically ill patients occurs when some states, such as São Paulo, Ceará and Maranhão, announce steps in a gradual opening of commerce and other economic sectors, .
Even in states that have implemented tighter restrictive measures and total lockdown in some cities, such as Pernambuco, Maranhão, Pará and Rio de Janeiro, the number of critically ill patients hospitalized remains at alarming levels.
In Pernambuco, where the officially disclosed occupancy rate stands at 97 percent, the number of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome waiting for an ICU in state hospitals decreased 26 percent in three weeks. On May 4th, 256 patients were waiting for a bed, a number that dropped to 190 on Wednesday, May 27th. There are also cases of patients infected with the novel coronavirus who have been waiting for a transfer for over two weeks.
In Rio de Janeiro, the opening of a new wing at the Maracanã field hospital last Friday, May 22nd, somewhat eased the problem. The occupancy of the state intensive care beds, which stood at 90 percent a week ago, dropped to 82 percent on Tuesday. However, part of the 160 places open are expected to be quickly occupied over the next few days, as the
state has a line of 286 people awaiting transfer. Six field hospitals outside the state capital have not yet been inaugurated – one of them started taking in patients on Thursday.
In the state of São Paulo, there were 4,779 patients in ICU beds with Covid-19 on Tuesday, with an occupation rate of 74 percent. According to Mayor Bruno Covas, the ICU bed occupancy in the capital of São Paulo on Tuesday was 85 percent. The rate has remained between 85 and 92 percent for more than three weeks.
The government of São Paulo stated that it has doubled the number of ICU beds in the state, from 3,600 to 7,200. In addition, seven field hospitals were opened: four in São Paulo’s capital and three inland. The drop in the bed occupancy rate is one of the criteria considered for economic reopening – the others refer to a social isolation rate of at least 55
percent, control over the number of Covid-19 cases, and deaths and hospitalizations.
In the new stage of the São Paulo Plan, announced by the governor of São Paulo, João Doria, the cities of Greater São Paulo and the coast near the city of Santos will not have quarantine relaxation. In the capital city of São Paulo, the opening of stores (with time restrictions), of auto dealerships, professionaloffices and real estate companies will be allowed.
Ceará is another state that should start to relax its social isolation measures despite recording an ICU occupancy of 91 percent of the 661 beds for Covid-19. On Tuesday, Governor Camilo Santana announced the start of a gradual reopening of the
economy as of June 1st. The reopening will be in stages, but the sectors and regions concerned have not yet been announced.
The same has been occurring in Maranhão, which has 89 percent of its beds for critically ill patients occupied. As of Monday, May 25th, governor Flávio Dino authorized the opening of wholly family-owned companies in which only the owner and relatives work.
It is expected that other economic sectors will be authorized to open as of next week. According to the government, the restart will be gradual and will follow sanitary protocols such as the use of masks and social distancing.
The state, which has decreed 12 days of mandatory confinement until May 17th in the capital São Luís and three surrounding cities, saw positive signs from the measure. The occupation of the ICU beds in the capital dropped from 100 to 86 percent last week.
Rio Grande do Sul adopted a reopening protocol a month ago. However, it still records an increasing occupancy of intensive care beds, reaching 71 percent on Tuesday, a number that also includes private hospitals. Occupancy helps to estimate the risk of Covid-19 in the model that flexibilizes economic activities in the state. Formerly, the number of confirmed cases of the disease was taken into account. However, the government understood that the
regions that test the most ended up being penalized by the model.
In a relatively easier situation, nine other states and the Federal District record an occupancy of less than 70 percent.
The Federal District has increased its network of ICU beds for Covid-19 as cases of critically ill patients increase. The local government seeks to keep the occupancy rate for these special beds below 50 percent. Thus, 70 new ICU beds were inaugurated last week.
On Tuesday, May 26th, 121 intensive care beds for Covid-19 were occupied. Despite the increase in the number of critically ill patients, the Federal District maintains its economic reopening process. After authorizing trade, shopping malls and commercial centers were allowed to operate at reduced hours as of Wednesday, May 27th.
With an increase of 67 ICUs in the private network as a result of a seizure of beds by the state, Tocantins reached 121 ICUs available for the treatment of Covid-19. The current occupation rate stands at 19 percent.
Mato Grosso recorded an increase in the total number of patients in ICUs allocated to Covid-19, but maintained its occupancy at 13 percent due to the installation of 48 new beds last week. There are 34 patients admitted, compared to 28 a week before.
The state of Mato Grosso do Sul, last on the list of confirmed Covid-19 cases, is still in a comfortable situation, with only 3.3 percent of its 296 ICUs exclusively for patients with the disease occupied. In state capital Campo Grande, there is no record of hospitalizations in the public network needing this type of bed.