WAR ON CORONA
Hospitals facing bed crisis as death toll soars Expert warns country is two weeks behind Italy Chaos as Spain holiday jets turn around in mid-air
Scottish hospitals have just 58 intensive care beds to treat patients struck down with coronavirus.
Officials said there were about 190 places across the country – but were at 71 per cent capacity.
The figure was revealed as health and government officials prepared to bat t le the deadly virus af ter the number of new Covid-19 positive cases north of the Border reached 121.
Expert Prof Calum Semple predicted the UK was around two weeks behind Italy – Europe’s worst-hit nation.
Meanwhile, travellers were hit when tour operators cancelled flights to Spain after its government revealed tough new measures. One pilot was forced to do a mid-air U-turn and fly back to Glasgow.
Hospitals have just 58 fullyequipped intensive care beds available for coronavirus vict ims, the Scot t ish Government has admitted.
The shocking statistic emerged as the deadly pandemic tightens its grip around the country with 121 patients now diagnosed north of the Border and UK deaths doubling to 21 in a day.
There are fears Scotland’s NHS could buckle under the pressure of a tsunami of critically-ill patients as hospitals struggle to cope.
Labour’s health spokeswoman Monica Lennon said: “As cases of coronavirus increase, demand for intensive care beds and ventilator support will grow significantly.
“In the most serious cases, people will need help with breathing and the stories coming out of Italy, where people have died because of a shortage of equipment, are tragic and worrying.
“Despite Italy’s healthcare provision being ranked by the World Health Organisation as second in the world, we know their hospitals have been completely overwhelmed.
“The NHS in Scotland will be under pressure like never before and the Scottish Government must pull out all the stops to increase ICU and ventilator capacity.”
She said she feared the shortage of spaces would lead to a similar number of fatalities faced in Italy – Europe’s worst-hit nation.
The Scottish Government said there were about 190 “Level 3 Intensive Care Unit beds with vent i lator y support in addition to other organ support” in Scotland, with occupancy levels at about 71 per cent.
That would mean about 58 beds were available now for new patients as Covid-19 cases cont inue to increase at a daily rate. It added: “All NHS Boards have plans in place to increase capacity in critical care in response to rising demand.
“This includes provision of all a p p r o pr i a t e me d i c a l equipment , i ncludi ng ventilators.”
“NHS Boards have plans in place to double ICU level 3 beds. The Scott ish G o v e r n me n t is supporting boards to deliver this increase.” In Italy – where the health ser v ice is ranked 16 places above the UK – do c t o r s a r e reported to have r e s or t ed to prioritising patients with the best chance of survival because of the pressure on intensive care beds.
There have now been 1266 deaths in Italy as a result of the virus and sufferers have been spending more than 15 days in intensive care – much longer than the average five to six days for other patients.
Professor Calum Semple has said the UK is about 13 days behind Italy in terms of the spread of coronavirus.
Semple, an expert in outbreak medicine at Liverpool University warned that the NHS will struggle to cope the high number of new patients expected to be diagnosed
He said: “We [The NHS] have the ability to expand our capacity at the cost of other services.
“We could move things around in hospitals. The cause for optimism is,
generally, our health system is more dynamic to challenges. But we have limited capacity at the top- end in intensive care and that’s where it becomes difficult.
“Some hospitals might use operating theatres to help. That could potentially increase capacity by about 25 per cent but even that’s not going to be enough.”
The number of positive tests in Scotland yesterday rocketed from 85 to 121. Health officials confirmed they had diagnosed their first case in the Highlands.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board is treating 31 patients while Lothian is caring for 25.
The increase came just 24 hours after it was announced that the country’s first coronavirus victim had died. It was revealed on Friday night that an elderly patient from Lothian had passed away.
Chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said the patient had “underlying health conditions”.
The number of deaths in the UK l inked to Covid-19 yesterday climbed from 11 to 21. Officials also confirmed that the number of cases leapt from 820 to 1145. It included a newborn baby.
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said: “I am sorry to confirm 10 further patients who tested positive for Covid-19 in England have died.
“All 10 individuals were in the at-risk groups. I understand this increase in the number of deaths linked to Covid19 will be a cause for concern for many. The public should know every measure we are taking is seeking to save lives and protect the most vulnerable. Every single one of us has a role to play in achieving this. If you have a new cont inuous coug h or h i g h temperature, please stay at home for seven days.
“I also encourage everyone to be washing their hands for 20 seconds regularly.
“I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends who have received this difficult news. I ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”
The increase came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to ban all mass gatherings and sports events from next weekend.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced last week that mass gatherings of more than 500 people north of the Border should be cancelled to free up emergency services.
The World Health Organisation yesterday criticised the UK’s handling of the crisis.
Dr Margaret Harris lashed its decision to aim for mass immunity.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We don’t know enough about the science of this virus, it hasn’t been in our population for long enough for us to know what it does in immunological terms.
“Every virus functions differently in your body and stimulates a different immunological profile.
“We can talk theories but at the moment we are really facing a situation where we have got to look at action.”
The public should know every measure we are taking is seeking to save lives