It CAN take that long for recovery from ICU but the median LOS (mean is inappropriate) is in the 5-20 day range depending on which set of data or study you choose. I’ve seen lots of data the public aren’t privy to, and I’ve helped a few hospitals to model ICU capacity and demand, the figures I tend to see are in the 1-2 week bracket, not 6-7 weeks, those are the outliers. Obviously I can’t go into details.CombatClaret wrote: ↑Wed Oct 14, 2020 5:51 pmReminder too re: ICU beds, even at R1 (which we are now above) ICU beds will fill at a constant rate, it can be 6-7 weeks for patient recovery.
So if you achieve R=1 when 100 people a week are being put in ICU then week you have 100 in ICU, next week 2 its 200, week 3 it's 300, week 4 it's 400 etc.
To clear beds takes a long lag time and ideally a reclining R rate.
And we're above R=1 one and growing fast. Remember too it's not death or fine, it can cause long lasting problems. And if you'd rather see the NHS dealing with non-Covid issues like cancer etc. The fastest way to do that would be to implement a Circuit Breaker lockdown for a set period. Then the normal procedures can take place while the rates slowly climb again from a very low number.
You may say that's just kicking the can down the road, yes it is, until this shower sorts out an effective track and trace system or a vaccine is put into public use.
When talking about overall capacity as in the above post, we have to look at aggregates, not individual patients.
The broad point I agree with though, its just that when correcting the bed figures it makes the circuit break argument more 50/50. Personally I would support Tier1-3 nationwide and local decisions made by local NHS leaders and council chiefs to go further, all the way up to a local circuit break or full local lockdown. Local NHS bed availability would play a big part in that. Nobody with any sense proposes a national lockdown - why bankrupt loads of businesses in, say, Cornwall, when their viral levels are very low? Similarly, why lock them down when their hospital bed status is OK?
Starmer knows this of course - that’s why I think he is being opportunistic.
That way, we save most of the lives we can, while most of the country can continue at normal (pandemic rule of 6 normal) economic and social levels.