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In a recent data analysis, the Scientific Institute of the AOK, WIdO for short, examined the development of hospital case numbers for AOK-insured persons and subsequently incorporated it into the Hospital Report 2021. According to the report, the decline in the number of cases in the second wave of the Corona pandemic was less than in the first wave. However, a 20 percent drop in case numbers was observed starting in December 2020 and in March through May of last year, according to the core findings of the analysis.

While scheduled procedures that could be postponed declined by 44 percent in the spring of 2020, catch-up effects were evident in the summer, but then the number of cases declined again (21 percent). There was a significant increase in mortality for emergency treatments, particularly strokes, as emergency treatments decreased by 12 and 11 percent, respectively, in both pandemic waves. For heart attacks, there was a decrease of 16 and 13 percent, respectively, in the second wave in the fall/winter of 2020/21.

Cancer surgeries were also reduced among emergency care cases. While colorectal cancer and breast cancer surgeries decreased by 17 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in the first wave, omitted colorectal cancer surgery cases grew by 20 percent due to capacity issues or patients not complaining, which is not known for sure.

With the resumption of mammography screening, the WIdO observed only a five percent decrease in the number of cases of breast cancer surgery. Among Covid 19 patients, it is also clear that men are more likely to be affected by severe courses involving hospitalization and ventilation. Sixty-six percent of ventilated patients during the first and second wave periods were men. At the same time, the prognosis is also worse with increasing age. However, one-third of all intensive care patients to date have been under 60 years of age, and 25 percent of them have been ventilated. The trend is increasing because more and more older people are already vaccinated, the DIVI intensive care physicians conclude.

Of 52,000 AOK insureds in the data analysis, 18 percent died in the hospital. Among the ventilated, 51 percent died. Mortality among the non-ventilated was 13 percent. However, it appears that mortality and severity are decreasing because drug therapy has improved.

In addition, the survey shows that 1,250 large hospitals and clinics treated 86 percent of all AOK Covid cases. 18 percent of ventilated patients were in hospitals with little experience. According to the analysis, better care is available in hospitals with a lot of experience. That’s why Martin Litsch, as chairman of the board of AOK-Bundesverband, is calling for a centrally controlled treatment concept with capacity regulation. The crisis has clearly highlighted the need for optimization in this respect. In this context, qualified personnel in larger clinics are better suited to provide optimal care for Covid 19 patients. Litsch therefore concludes that concentrating corona patients in a few large hospitals with a lot of experience and specially trained staff is advantageous and saves lives.

Source: www.kma-online.de