Portugal yesterday surpassed the barrier of four thousand cases of Covid-19, on a day when it registered 33 deaths, one of the highest numbers ever.
In total, 132616 cases and 2428 deaths from covid-19 have been recorded since the pandemic was reported in Portugal on March 2, breaking records for the second consecutive day.
After registering 3960 cases on Wednesday, this Thursday, Portugal surpassed the barrier of four thousand daily infections by Covid-19. With more than 4244 records, there are now more than 130 thousand positive cases recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.
With 33 deaths in 24 hours, this Thursday is the seventh day with the highest mortality associated with Covid-19, with the country returning to levels of fatalities only seen in April, at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic, when there were between 34 and 37 deaths, six times, with the maximum recorded on April 3.
The fatal victims to date are 18 men and 15 women. Most, as has been a habit since the beginning of the pandemic, are people over 80 years old (nine men and 12 women). In the immediately preceding age group, the second most affected by the pandemic, Covid-19 took nine more lives (six men and three women).
The number of hospitalized patients continues to rise: with 40 more people hospitalized, there are now 1834 people in need of hospital care, 269 of whom (seven more) in intensive care units.
The Bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health, released this Thursday, registers another 1657 people recovered from the Covid-19. All told, there are more than 2279 active cases compared to Wednesday, for a total of 51996 people infected with the new coronavirus currently in Portugal .
There are also 2394 more contacts under surveillance by health authorities. Thus, there are 62457 people who were close to confirmed patients and whose health status is monitored.
Comments
Since the publication of this article (5 days ago) a further 207 people have died of or with Covid which is very sad. But, as you rightly say, what about the living who are in need of medical care? On average more than 100 people are currently admitted daily to hospitals with Covid symptoms many of them are now younger (see my link #16 of 1 Nov).
You questioned if the measurements taken by the government are excessive. Whether a patient, who was diagnosed with Covid, is 25 or 80 years old he or she will still occupy a hospital bed therefore reducing the capacity that might be needed in a non-Covid ward. What happens if there is a nasty accident on the N123 or if a person suffering a heart attack cannot get to the nearest hospital because it's full up with Covid patients or there are not enough ventilators?
I guess you, like many others, prefer to isolate the old, obese, diabetics, etc. I am sure the elderly won't go to raves and spread the virus and I am sure the majority of people do try to minimise the risk but it is because of the stupidity and the selfishness of the younger and "I want my freedom" generation that the government has no option but to take these measures.
"Risk communication has been poor in this pandemic. Relentlessly focussing on a single cause of death leads to woeful risk management. Daily Covid deaths not only need to be presented in the context of deaths from other causes, but we also need to know the "years of life lost". Many of the excess cardiac deaths have been in the under 65s, but the average age of a Covid death is 82.4 years, above the average life expectancy. It may well be that Covid deaths have zero effect on average life expectancy, whereas the preventable non-Covid deaths from cancer, heart disease and miscarriage do." (From Private Eye 1533; and referring to UK, but it is probable that Portugal is similar in this respect.) An article in the current Algarve Resident 29 October makes a similar point: that people living with underlying serious health difficulties are being disadvantaged by the relentless attention given to Covid.
Charlotte is right that we each have a responsibility to ourselves and everyone else to behave in a way that reduces risk. And that involves taking proper hygiene measures.
This analogy may not be perfect: but the fact that the annual global death toll from accidents on the road is well over a million does not lead to a ban on use of cars and roads; but it does lead to increased efforts to mitigate the effects of poor road behaviour.
Life itself is a risky occupation, and we each have to manage the risk as best we can, not only for ourselves but also for everyone else around us.
Why are you comparing Covid with the Spanish flu 100 years ago? The majority died of bacterial flu at a time when penicillin wasn't even discovered and when ICU ventilators weren't even developed.
You asked: "Are we overreacting?" My answer is No!!
Another 150 have been hospitalised in the last 24 hrs. How many more days before patients will be lying on trolleys in hospital corridors? Not only that, reports are coming in that younger people end up in ICUs.
https://executivedigest.sapo.pt/covid-19-leva-pessoas-de-todas-as-idades-aos-cuidados-intensivos-ha-doentes-de-20-e-30-anos/
So I am repeating my question (see my post #3) if you are in charge how would YOU handle it???
What about the health of the community that you live in as well? Seems like if we all follow the guidelines we would be better off. Or maybe we should all copy the example in the USA... perhaps we should open up a Walmart as well?
I keep repeating my view, it is essential to look at all figures, do the mathematics to see what the relations between numbers given by media and government and facts are.
yes, this is my opinion, too. All people I ask in my age group and older do not want to be the " center of protection", but want to take responsibility for themselves and their health.
The deaths attributed to the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-1920 were 3%-5% of the then world population; the million deaths so far from Covid represent 0,014% of today´s world population. I repeat, are we successful in dealing with Covid, or overreacting?
So every "very ill" patient should receive identical treatment.
Are you hoping that if you put the pneumonia patrients together with the cancer patients and those with Covid they will all get herd immunity? Abandon chemotherapy perhaps? Take people off dialysis and put them on ventilators? Utter nonsense.
The ultimate price to pay is your life! Would be interested to see if you both had the same opinion if anyone in your family had paid the price other families have had to. And as for the "natural selection" allusion, that is simply disgraceful and not the "intellectual" answer I am sure you were hoping to get credit for.