![\\"logo\\"](\\"/img/logo-dpa-factchecking.svg\\"/) * WhatsApp service * About Us ![\\"IFCN](\\"/img/ifcn-certificate.png\\"/) ![\\"EFCSN](\\"/img/efcsn- certificate.png\\"/) # Decline in available intensive care beds due to staff shortages and changes Counting method November 17, 2020, 1:04 p.m. (CET) Given the high number of infections, the care of corona patients is increasing more focus in intensive care units. Spreads on social media There is also a graphic that is apparently intended to show that the number of intensive care beds was artificially reduced in Germany. «Apparently we have one Pandemic and a killer virus threaten all of our lives!!!!!!», it says a post about it on Facebook (archived here). «And exactly in this one "In these bad times, we are massively reducing our number of intensive care beds." The The associated graphic shows the “reported capacity of the available intensive care beds" - between July 31st and November 14th these are getting smaller and smaller. RATING: The graphic is misleading. Capacity in intensive care units were not deliberately dismantled. In August there were two changes in the Counting method. In addition, the graphic omits existing emergency reserves that are in the However, the official Divi register can be displayed. FACTS: The occupancy of intensive care units in German hospitals has been in a register of the German Interdisciplinary Association since April for intensive care and emergency medicine (Divi). The information is pending everything depends on the staff. “Bed means something like “treatment place for a patient," said a spokeswoman for the Divi intensive care register Inquiry from the German Press Agency. “You don’t just need that \"Bed\" but also nursing staff - someone has to take care of this sick person take care." The decline in reported intensive care beds described in the Facebook post August is also in a graphic on the Divi homepage (see third graphic under time series - archived here). It can be passed through two Explain changes in counting: According to Divi, nursing staff minimum limits were at the end of July Exposed to intensive care units. It is required by law that a Carers are allowed to care for a maximum of 2.5 patients. «There is a lack of nursing staff for If more beds are added, they will be “locked”, i.e. taken out of operation”, said a Divi spokeswoman. This staff shortage is currently primarily responsible for the falling capacity: “Since the number of infections increased September and October at the latest will also go up again numerous nursing staff infected themselves. Per sick caregiver can 2.5 beds are not reported as “operable,” it says Opinion. In addition, an emergency reserve will be created in the Divi intensive care register from the beginning of August displayed. This refers to intensive care places within seven days are ready for use. On the register's homepage (see bullet point). Total number) it says, data suggests that the change will “part of the Beds previously reported as "vacant" are now reported as emergency reserve capacity becomes." So capacities have shifted here. In the Facebook graphic this is not displayed. That makes them misleading. There is also an explanation for the observation that the number of occupied Treatment places have only increased slightly. Clinics have to despite the Keep free intensive care places available for everyday operations during the corona pandemic. This According to the Divi spokeswoman, this happens as a result of patient transfers: “Otherwise, for example, the victims of a major car accident or two or three Stroke patients no longer receive adequate care in one day.” In addition shows the time course of occupancy values ​​for the whole of Germany - Regional overloads in intensive care units are not visible. All of these explanations are missing from the Facebook post that talks about it Intensive care beds will be dismantled. This is also missing from the popular graphic Zero line, which distorts the scale. - all information before calendar week 31 and part of the scale of the number of beds are omitted. Also soft individual numbers of occupied beds differ slightly from the official information Divi intensive register. \--- Left: Facebook post with the misleading graphic (November 15, 2020): (archived: Overview of the total number of reported intensive care beds in Germany in divisions Intensive register, see “Time series”, third graphic from top: (archived: Information in the Divi intensive care register about the emergency reserve, see «What is shown in the time series \"Total number of reported intensive care beds\"?»: \--- Contact the dpa fact check team: faktencheck@dpa.com powered by dpa-newslab | Imprint | Privacy | About:
Given the high number of infections the care of corona patients in intensive care units is becoming more of a focus A graphic is circulating on social media that appears to show that the number of intensive care beds in Germany has been artificially reduced Apparently we have a pandemic and a killer virus is threatening all of our lives says a post on Facebook archived here And it is precisely at this difficult time that we are massively reducing intensive care beds The accompanying graphic shows the reported capacity of available intensive care beds in green bars between July 31st and November 14th this becomes smaller and smaller