Chile airforce relocate virus patients from crowded Santiago

The Chilean airforce relocated three COVID-19 patients in critical conditions from Santiago to Concepcion on Tuesday, looking to free needed spaces in Intensive Care Units.

The Chilean health services were forced to operate close to capacity in the last weeks.

In Santiago, hospitals are close to 95% of its capacity and numbers of patients that require ventilators are still mounting.

On Tuesday, Chile has a record of new cases with 3,520 new patients 31 deaths in the last day.

At least 5% of those newly infected with the new coronavirus will need a critical bed and a mechanical ventilator in the coming days, further straining the Chilean Health System.

The Airforce has relocated 16 people in the last week, a partial solution as not all patients are eligible to be transferred into other hospitals with free ICU spaces.

The health service authority of the Chilean airforce said the patients should withstand several hours of transportation before reaching the next ICU.

Initially, four patients were meant to board the flight to Concepcion, but one was not admitted into the aircraft as specialists considered a better option to care for him in Santiago.

The government ordered on Tuesday that private medical facilities with intensive care beds to increase their space available by 20 percent within six days, and double the capacity within a month.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, Chile has nearly 50,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 500 deaths.

However, the number of infections may be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.