⁍ Belgium has Europe’s second highest infection rate per capita after the Czech Republic.
⁍ Number of patients in intensive care units is doubling every eight days.
⁍ Belgium has one of the highest per capita fatality rates in the world.
– If the H1N1 virus keeps surging at its current rate in Belgium, the country could run out of intensive care beds within two weeks, Reuters reports. The nation has Europe’s second highest infection rate per capita, with new cases doubling every 13 days and hitting a peak of more than 18,000 on Oct. 20. The number of patients in intensive care units is doubling every eight days—to 757 as of Sunday—with 4,827 people in hospitals. Health Ministry spokesman Yves Van Laethem told a news conference Belgium’s maximum capacity of 2,000 ICU beds might be reached in two weeks if the increases continues. ‘Within four days, by the end of the week, we should pass the milestone of 1,000 patients in intensive care,’ Van Laethem said. “If the curve doesn’t change with our behavior, we should reach 2,000 patients in intensive care in two weeks, our maximum capacity.’ The region of Brussels, one of the hardest hit in Europe, ordered on Saturday all sport and cultural facilities to close and residents will face a longer curfew from Monday. Belgium had 1,288 new COVID-19 infections per 100,000 residents over the past week. With 10,810 total deaths, it has one of the highest per capita fatality rates in the world.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-belgium/belgian-hospitals-could-run-out-of-beds-in-fifteen-days-official-idUSKBN27B1G8