In tests for COVID-19 positivity remains high in Quito hospitals, although demand for medical evaluation is going down

Lower demand for medical assessment of respiratory conditions, a similar number of hospital admissions and positivity still on the rise is what is observed in the IESS Quito Sur hospital, destined to attend with priority COVID-19, while in the Pablo Arturo Suárez hospital, of the Ministry of Public Health, its occupation is still high.

According Stuart Salgado, deputy director of critical medicine IESS Quito South hospital, the 85% (153) of the 180 beds destined for hospitalization are occupied, 100% of the 18 intensive care unit beds (ICU) and of the 5 pediatric beds, there are 4 boarding schools

held that no waiting lists for the ICU, although there has been a slight increase in children’s admissions.

On January 17, the peak of attention in medical assessment occurred when there were some 2,500 patients, of which 1,200 to take the PCR test, and 800 requested medical attention in the tents that have been installed outside that health house and about 25 of them were admitted to hospital.

With data as of February 3 there were 326 patients, of which 106 required care for respiratory conditions and 22 were hospitalized.

“Although the people they no longer flock for (medical) care, but a sustained number are being hospitalized in recent weeks,” he said. He attributed it to the fact that it has been a constant in other epidemiological curves.

The official pointed out that the test positivity is above 60%, which is still high.

Positivity in tests to detect COVID-19 decreases to less than 50%; Government authorizes massive events with reduced capacity

The positivity of diagnostic tests to detect COVID-19 has gone down 50% in Ecuador, as announced by the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), last Wednesday.

For Salgado, the pandemic could be controlled when positivity falls below 10%.

“We have not had the overflow of times ago. We have not collapsed and we are discreetly seeing that the number of cases is actually going down and of hospitalizations also in a smaller percentage. We hope that in these next two weeks the number of cases will progressively decrease, “he added.

At IESS Quito South Hospital The same number of beds available for COVID will be maintained until the downward trend is consolidated and outpatient care has resumed at 30%.

From floating and foreign population, to cultural aspects would influence some cantons to be at a red light due to COVID-19

While in the Hospital Pablo Arturo Suarez, which is located in the north of Quito, where coronavirus is also treated with priority, there is still a high occupancy rate.

Jorge Peñaherrera, manager of the hospital, indicated that they continue with a occupancy ranging between 80% and 100%. This Friday, for example, in the intensive care unit (ICU) there are 28 patients from 35 enabled beds, in hospitalization there are 64 beds and 53 patients.

The demand for respiratory triage has decreased, Well, while in the first and second week of January there were between 120 and 140 people, fifteen days ago they were between 60 and 80 and in the last week between 30 and 40.

Peñaherrera attributed this decline to vaccination, to citizen care, to the presence of rains, to the fact that there have been no new holidays.

“Omicron is more contagious, the consequences of the end of the year are already diminishing (…) We expected that it would be between four to six weeks before it was over, that it would be the maximum and that is happening,” he added.

However, the positivity of tests to detect COVID-19 continues to be high. It is 60% to 70%.

Before the upcoming carnival holiday will keep the same number of open beds and will continue to do so up to four to six weeks after that celebration.

In the case of attention to other specialties remains, although with a certain capacity limitation.