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Europe's Hospitals Near COVID-19 Capacity

Jamie Dettmer

   Hospitals in several parts of Europe, from the Midlands of England to
   Ukraine, are warning their intensive care units are reaching full
   capacity as a second wave of coronavirus sweeps across the continent.

   Doctors are once again talking about a viral tsunami hitting them, one
   that's likely to be worse than the first wave that hit Europe and the
   United States earlier this year. With the tempo of new infections
   quickening, even before the northern hemisphere winter sets in, alarm
   is rising.

   Vassilis Voutsas, a Greek doctor who works in the COVID-19 intensive
   care unit at Thessaloniki's Papanikolaou Hospital, said Thursday: "My
   fear is that the number of patients will be so big that we won't be
   able to treat them all." The unit has seen a fivefold rise in patients.

   "The hospital system is already at its limits," he added.

   In Italy

   A clamor of warnings is also coming from hospitals in an arc across
   northern Italy.

   Midweek, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Italy
   passed the symbolic one million mark, according to government data. The
   country is now recording more than 30,000 new infections daily and
   deaths are rising from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

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