A 22-year-old Brazilian died of Covid-19 while waiting for an ICU bed in Sao Paulo, the city’s mayor, Bruno Covas, said Thursday during a press conference.
The man was admitted to a local hospital on the night of March 11 and died of the virus on March 13. The ICU bed was available a day after his death, according to Covas.
“He died 46 hours after entering the hospital,” Covas said, adding that “he was only 22. This shows how the profile of the [Covid-19] patients change. “
Brazil has faced an increase in infections this month. On Thursday, the city of Sao Paulo reached an ICU occupancy rate of 88%, according to state health authorities. The level is close to what the city saw at the height of its first wave of infections in June 2020.
According to Covas, as of Thursday, 395 people are still waiting for a bed for ICU in Sao Paulo.
“The city, which has never stopped, must stop. So that we don’t have more cases like this, of people who are not admitted [to the ICU] for lack of beds, ”Covas said.
Lack of medical supplies: The recent increase in infections in Brazil not only causes a shortage of ICU beds across the country, but also causes a lack of critical supplies and medications for patients in these units.
The National Front of Mayors (FNP) sent a letter to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and the Ministry of Health on Thursday calling for “immediate action” by the federal government, including sedation and oxygen medications for patients intubated with Covid-19 and others. diseases.
According to FNP, mayors are asking for help to avoid “the tragic and cruel scenes experienced recently in Manaus.” The largest city in the state of Amazon experienced a significant oxygen shortage in January.
The organization of mayors represents 412 cities that represent 61% of the population of Brazil.