Hasselt –
Currently, there are barely seven corona patients in Limburg hospitals. That is the lowest number since the start of the corona crisis in March. Nevertheless, according to experts, this is not yet a reason to relax the measures.
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Every day, 24 Limburgers are infected with the corona virus. A week ago there were fewer than 20. In Heusden-Zolder and Beringen, until recently two major ‘problem children’, the situation seems to be under control again. Heusden-Zolder drops below the alert threshold of 20 infections per 100,000 inhabitants, Beringen is also on the way to that. In 17 Limburg municipalities, no new infections have been detected for at least one week.
Two corona patients were allowed to leave the Jessa Hospital in Hasselt on Wednesday. For example, seven patients remain in the Limburg hospitals. That number has been hovering around ten since the beginning of August, but has now reached a new low. Even less so than in the first week of July, when barely a handful of new infections were added every day in our province. The number of hospital admissions is also falling sharply nationally. On average, 19 infected patients are admitted every day. That is a third less than a week ago.
Twenties and thirties
There are currently two patients with Covid-19 in the Jessa Hospital. Although it is therefore not certain that they were admitted because of the corona virus. For example, anyone who ends up in an emergency room with a heart problem and tests positive for the virus there, will be assigned a separate Covid room in the cardiology department. “That is the reason why we keep a few rooms free in various departments,” says Jessa spokeswoman Lieve Ketelslegers. “For the rest, the staff members turn their normal mail, it is not the case that someone here is twirling their fingers while waiting for corona patients.”
“The people who are now infected are mainly in their twenties and thirties”, virologist Marc Van Ranst explains the low number of corona patients in the hospitals. “In the first wave, there were still many over 70s and 80s. The age distribution is therefore completely different. Those young people are less likely to end up in hospital. In addition, we experienced disasters in the residential care centers in March and April. They are now much better armed. The elderly themselves are still very wary. Most people in their seventies and eighties are extremely cautious and follow the measures almost religiously. They will not easily say that it is not all that bad, and a good thing. ”
Parameter
In the absence of sufficient testing, the number of hospital admissions in the first wave was considered the reliable parameter for estimating the extent of the pandemic. Had the hospitals been able to publish such figures at the time, it would undoubtedly have led to a whore vote. And yet experts think it is now too early to let go of the measures. “We are still facing major challenges,” says microbiologist Herman Goossens. “Few older people get infected, but when the number of infected youngsters increases, that threshold towards the older generations will sooner or later be exceeded. That is why we must continue to respect the current measures. By testing a lot, we also have to detect the spread as quickly as possible. ”
“In my opinion, the fact that many young people are infected is indeed not a drama,” adds Van Ranst. “After all, they breed a form of group immunity in this way. But in the United States, we have already seen that, from a certain point on, that spread does trickle down from the young to the elderly. And I am afraid of that. ”
No weakening
According to the experts, the low number of patients in hospitals in any case does not indicate a weakening of the virus. “That could be a much longer-term explanation,” says Van Ranst. “Other coronaviruses have evolved over time into simple colds. But it is still much too early for that now. ”
Goossens: “The virus has not changed yet. We must therefore prepare for one worstcasescenario in winter, with a wave that may be worse than the first. ”
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