Painting an honest picture of the second wave

The impact of the second Covid-19 wave is all around us but what are we really up against?

Mediclinic Southern Africa clinical performance manager Dr Kim Faure shares the reality with insights into the challenges of the second wave. “The main difference between these two surges? A more infectious variant, more patients and a greater number of deaths,” said Faure.

By carefully collecting, tracking and analysing data, Faure has assisted Mediclinic’s in-hospital response to the outbreak, a job that has recently become more challenging.

“In the first wave we saw a sharp sustained rise in cases all over South Africa, it was alarming but steady. What we’re looking at today is a different kind of crisis – we have a spike that shows exponential spread, exponential admissions, it’s a spike that shows no sign of slowing.”

During the first wave last year, Mediclinic hospitals faced an influx of about 5 400 new Covid-19 patients over a month. This was a steady increase over four months until the peak in July.

Today, the same number of admissions was reached in the first few weeks of the second wave. “We’re looking at the occupancy of hospitals increasing to about 80 to 99 per cent.

“When volumes go through the roof like that it can overwhelm staff, resources and equipment. It can overwhelm a whole hospital and impact on patient care.”

But what do these extreme volumes mean? The strain on staff, resources and space in hospitals. Faure noted that hospitals could adapt but there was a limit.

During the first wave, Mediclinic hospitals had sufficient Intensive Care Unit capacity for the already-high number of Covid-19 patients presenting severe signs but staff were now managing the growing constraints on the already available resources.

To get a better handle on the challenges facing the sector, the public must understand that their behaviour directly impacts a hospital’s ability to provide services.

“A prepared healthcare system that is ready and equipped is essential to fighting a pandemic effectively. If we overburden our hospitals, we compromise our capacity to provide expert care or risk not being able to receive care.”

Practising the precautionary protocols such as wearing a face mask, avoiding social gatherings and practising rigorous hand hygiene were more crucial now than ever.

“The data gives us a very real picture of not only where we are now but where we are going if we don’t act. If the situation continues to escalate, it can get to a tipping point [and] our hospitals might not be able to achieve or guarantee the outcomes we expect and desire.”

Related articles:

https://rosebankkillarneygazette.co.za/356505/rkgsarah2netcareonline/