ICU director – ICUs are not enough – Mandatory vaccinations should be extended

The solution is to reduce the needs only by increasing the obligation, we have no other way, we must be vaccinated, it is not an individual obligation, a health system is collapsing, the economy is collapsing. Shutting down human activity is not the solution,” said Nikos Kapravelos, director of the ICU of the Papanikolaou Hospital

Scientists are sounding the alarm for the fourth wave of the coronavirus through SKAI tv, and are in favor of extending the obligation to vaccinations.

Nikos Kapravelos, director of the ICU of the Papanikolaou Hospital, spoke about a record number of admissions during the fourth wave, with 44 admissions to the Papanikolaou Hospital.

“44-year-olds and 48-year-olds are fighting for their lives, it is not only the elderly. Everyone is unvaccinated at Papanikolaou, I can not believe it. I see in the relatives, not only in the patients, a loss of reality perception, they did not believe that the disease exists “, said Mr. Kapravelos characteristically.

“The solution is to reduce the needs only by increasing the obligation, we have no other way, we must be vaccinated, it is not an individual obligation, a health system is collapsing, the economy is collapsing. Shutting down human activity is not the solution,” he said.

“One way is to extend the obligation to vaccinate those over 55-60, the high-risk ages, or to extend it to human activity. Someone goes to eat at the restaurant or hotel and they are not vaccinated. The United States and Italy are moving in that direction, America has imposed a civil service obligation on those paid by the central government. Think of us on duty, saying ‘closed no vacancy’. Will there be no reaction? The truth must not be hidden. ”

There are no empty beds in the ICU

As the doctor pointed out, “there is currently no empty bed in the ICU. They suffer in simple wards, if they need intubation they are transported to surgeries without staff next to them. They have to make do with simple beds. Our capabilities have been exhausted… »

For his part, the professor of Analytical Chemistry of Athens University Nikos Thomaidis stated that the viral load in the sewage from the end of September in Attica until yesterday increased by 93% within a month.

“The positive cases in Attica increased by 51%, it is the weekly average of the last week of September with the one we are going through. As for the weekly average in Greece the day before yesterday was 3434. In August at the peak it was 3200, so we are already more burdened “.

In December we may see 55 to 60 deaths a day

In the third wave, continued Mr. Thomaidis, in April 6-7 April it was 3080, so we are already in higher case loads than the third wave. The cases will increase significantly in the next 2-3 weeks, the average weekly rate will reach 4,000 and above, possibly we can see 5,000 in the variation. Admissions are already much higher than discharges. 270 vs. 200. Intubated people are systematically increasing every day and so are deaths. ICUs and losses are about one month away from the peak of the cases. So for December we can see about 55 to 60 deaths a day, we will not have the numbers of the previous period just because some people were vaccinated.

The professor advocated for the obligation for those over 40, as there is the age group of patients and they are taken to hospitals. “Already, there is 74% fullness in the ICUs in Greece , some are already at 100%. There is no way that the pressure on the NSS will ease in the next 2 to 3 weeks,” said Mr. Thomaidis.