While the number of Covid-19 patients in Belgian hospitals is decreasing for the first time since the start of September, the Iris hospitals in Brussels are still seeing a "significant rise," they said on Friday.
In the Iris hospitals, the number of patients continues to go up, with 255 Covid-19 patients in regular care, and another 60 ones in intensive care on Friday. With 14 more patients than yesterday, the hospitals are currently caring for 315 Covid-19 patients.
"The increase is significant," said Etienne Wéry, managing director of Iris hospitals, told the Belga press agency. "We hope that, at the beginning of next week, we will finally see a decrease in the number of hospitalisations, as appears to be the case for the number of infections."
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In the University Hospital of Brussels (UZ Brussel), a total of 116 Covid-19 patients were being treated on Thursday, compared to "only" 100 now. Of those patients, 25 are in the intensive care unit.
The Chirec hospital group in Brussels is also reporting a slight decline, with a total of 175 Covid-19 patients on Friday, of which 30 are in intensive care. On Thursday, with 181 Covid-19 patients, and 30 in intensive care, the occupancy rate was slightly higher.
Across the Brussels-Capital Region, hospital admissions decreased by 12%, according to Sciensano.
However, this may be due to Belgium's nationwide coronavirus hospital response plan, according to virologist and interfederal Covid-19 spokesperson Steven Van Gucht, as many patients from Brussels and Wallonia have been transferred to Flemish hospitals.
In total, 7,282 Covid-19 patients are admitted to Belgian hospitals, a decrease of 123 compared to Thursday, and the first one since early September, Van Gucht said.
In the intensive care units, however, the number of patients continues to rise, with 1,428 patients currently being admitted.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
