Blatný: Coming week most critical for ICUs

The coming week will be the most critical when it comes to intensive care units for Covid patients in the Czech Republic, the minister of health, Jan Blatný, said on Sunday. The country currently has one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in Europe.

Speaking on Czech Television, Dr. Blatný said there were sufficient beds but the problem was a shortage of qualified staff. He said an additional 300 doctors and 1,000 nurses would be needed to deal with the number of critically ill patients, adding that outpatient specialists and medical students would be called up to help.

The minister said that on average 50 percent of Covid infections in the Czech Republic were caused by the British mutation of the virus; however in some districts the figure was up to 80 percent.

Dr. Blatný also said that he would not be in favour of the widespread usage of the experimental drug ivermektin to treat Covid patients.