Resuscitations under tension. The number of covid-19 patients in intensive care has jumped at the Lyon-Sud hospital, warns Professor Vincent Piriou, head of the anesthesia-intensive care unit in this establishment. “We are in a phase of ascent of the epidemic with resuscitation beds which are totally saturated in the city and the region, which is a new situation.“he confides to AFP.

And no question of counting on interregional transfers because “the whole of France is involved in the covid“he notes. Consequence,”when patients arrive at the hospital, we have to anticipate, free up beds. “

Read also: Covid-19: we explain the resuscitation procedures

The requisitioned operating theaters

Lyon-Sud hospital usually has 27 intensive care beds in two units. “But we reopened a lot: 11 since early September and nine more this week“, testifies the head of department.

“We expect to reopen more beds, this time in operating rooms“he continues,”even if the conditions of care could end up being degraded for lack of personnel.“

And transforming operating theaters into intensive care rooms is not without consequences. “With experience, we have this agility to close operating theaters and open resuscitation beds. The problem is that we have also accumulated a lot of delay on our functional and non-urgent surgeries for a year.“which are, in fact, deprogrammed,” says Professor Piriou.

No return to normal before mid-June

For him, the situation is bound to last: “We think that the peak should come in about ten days, and there is always a lag between the city and the intensive care unit, because our patients stay about 15 days, three weeks, even a month in intensive care.“explains the specialist.

“This means that the intensive care units will be saturated at least until mid-May, and we do not expect a return to normal until mid-June.“he finally recognizes.

“Lassitude” of caregivers

A long situation and “complicated“, characterized by “staff fatigue because people no longer see the end of this epidemic“blows the head of department.”It has been going on for a year now and there are a lot of concerns.“

At the origin of the concerns, in particular: the transitions of operating room staff to intensive care units. “On the one hand, because it’s a new job for them, but also because it disrupts their personal life.

They no longer have the same hours and work at night, which creates very significant complications in their home“says Professor Piriou.

More than 5,700 patients in French sheaves

The case of Lyon-Sud is unfortunately not isolated. Across the country, the number of covid-19 patients in intensive care was 5,729 on the evening of April 7, against 5,053 just a week ago. In 24 hours, 673 patients were admitted to these services who are treating the most serious cases, according to figures from Public Health France.

For the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, the country could approach the end of April the peak of resuscitation reached during the first wave, before ebbing, the time for the new restrictions to take effect.