Sharp drop in hospital treatment - Nakstad believes the wave of infection is about to end

– This is confirmed by the background numbers and the fact that the number of patients in the hospital is no longer increasing, adds the Assistant Director of Health.

At the height of hospital treatment, on Monday 7 March, 638 patients with corona were admitted to Norwegian hospitals. But in the past week or so, the number of inpatients has fallen, and on Wednesday it was 102 fewer.

There were also fewer newly admitted patients last week. In intensive care units, the situation has not completely changed with about 50 inpatients, Nakstad told NTB.

many in hospital

Although there are fewer patients with corona in hospitals, there are still many more than there have been in any other wave of infection across the epidemic.

In the first wave of infections in the spring of 2020, there were 325 patients with corona at most, in the winter of 2021 there were 299 patients at most, before Christmas there were 383 patients, while the peak this spring was on March 7 with 638 patients.

Because most people have now been vaccinated and the risk of serious illness is very low with the omicron variant, there are still fewer in the ICU and ventilator than in other rounds of infection.

Over the peak incidence in eastern Norway

Last week, the National Institute of Public Health reported a 35 percent drop in reported cases, and estimated that the epidemic was nearing an end.

– We may have reached the peak infection in eastern Norway two weeks ago, but it is difficult to say exactly how much infection has decreased because not everyone records a positive self-test on the municipalities website, says the assistant health director.

He adds that self-reported pathological absenteeism still appears to be high. It is likely that this will also be the case in the coming weeks, although the trend is declining and fewer people were registered on sick leave with corona last week compared to previous weeks.

– After Easter, we think so many will be so infected that the omicron wave recedes. As of today, there are no other virus variants under sail, which makes reason to believe that they will dramatically change this picture, and hopefully have a summer effect that contributes to reduced infection, says Nakstad.

However, he emphasizes that we do not know which virus variables we will leave in the fall of 2022, and how they will affect the occurrence of Corona in the country.