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Sweden no longer has intensive care beds and may have to seek help from neighboring countries, warned a top medical professional.
Intensive care units in Stockholm, which were hardest hit during the country’s second wave, reached 99 percent capacity this week – with just seven beds left.
Now, Sten Rubertsson, head of the Swedish Health and Welfare Agency, has warned that the country without lockdown may have to seek help from neighbors like Finland, which has taken advantage of lockdowns.
Sweden has been badly hit by a second wave of coronavirus (7-day mean new cases, see figure), and intensive care units in large cities like Stockholm are now struggling
Deaths in Sweden have remained below their first wave peak, but if the ICU beds run out the total could soar as doctors are forced to decide which patients to rescue
According to the newspaper Aftonbladet, Sweden has around 700 intensive care beds.
While Sweden did not exceed this capacity, Rubertsson pointed out that the beds are spread out across the country.
That means that in cities like Stockholm that have been badly hit, hospitals are working on their border.
Other cities badly affected are Malmö and Gothenburg, both in the south.
Sten Rubertsson has warned that Sweden may have to seek help from Finland if the situation worsens
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