In some regions, there is a threat of restrictions on hospital care again, Vojtěch said
Updates: 10/20/2021 6:11 PM
Released: 20.10.2021, 12:09
Prague – In some regions, according to the Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch (for YES), due to the increase in the number of hospitalized with covid -19, there is a risk of repeated restrictions on deferred hospital care. He told reporters at a press conference to limit preventive care during the last waves of the pandemic. He did not specify which regions were involved. In general, however, the epidemic is most widespread in the Moravian-Silesian, Olomouc and South Bohemian regions and in Prague. After the government meeting, he specified that this could happen within a few weeks if the situation continued to deteriorate.
“If there are people here who question vaccination, they don’t want to get vaccinated, it will mean that hospitals can really get into trouble and they can’t afford to take care of all the patients,” he said.
Currently, 620 people are hospitalized with coronavirus and 102 in intensive care. Of the October 997 covid positive patients in hospitals were according to the data ministry two-thirds unvaccinated. Without vaccination, according to Ladislav Dušek, director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics (ÚZSI), the number of hospitalized could be six to ten times worse.
According to him, the epidemic continues to accelerate, the reproduction number is around 1.5. “We must prepare for further growth not only in the number of infected, but also hospitalized in the coming weeks,” said Dušek.
According to Dušek, the most endangered regions are Moravian-Silesian, Olomouc, South Moravian, South Bohemian and Prague. “There is a free community spread of a more contagious form of the virus,” he added. According to him, in regions with large cities, the spread affects migration for work or students to schools. In southern Bohemia, commuting to Germany also plays a role.
“The disease is spread mainly among the unvaccinated population, from 70 to 75 percent. Young people under the age of 35 still predominate,” he told reporters.
According to Dušek, the effects of the virus on healthcare are hampering against previous waves of vaccination. Vaccinated people in hospitals are on average 75 years old, unvaccinated 59 years old. Currently, most two-thirds of the adult population are vaccinated. Which in the elderly are vaccinated 70 to 80 percent, of the younger under 40 are vaccinated about half. “If the unvaccinated population floods hospitals, they will flood them for everyone,” he added.