"We've also had a steep increase in the number of Covid cases in our ICU in the last week. And 90 percent are unvaccinated. They're 55 years old on average. Most of them are fully engaged in life." (Basler Zeitung, 2021-12-08, p. 3)
Next: Bettina Bergmann
"Many demand maximum therapy for themselves and their relatives. Therapies they have read about in the newspaper, or even a useless vermifuge. Many expect the use of lung replacement machines, even if this is not indicated. The number of machines available in Switzerland is severely limited. This attitude of entitlement worries me. It shows an excessive individualism and egoism. What we need now is solidarity."
Next: Antje Heise
"And it is precisely this overload that is occurring when there are now again calls to increase the number of beds. This was made possible essentially by increasing the workloads of part-time employees and by using anesthesia nurses. As a result, we were able to operate eight more beds than were certified last winter. Unfortunately, frustration and burnout spread - partly as a result. As a result, we lost a fifth of our nursing staff, including highly trained and experienced specialists whose expertise we have been unable to replace. There is no longer any question of operating additional beds this winter. Not even all certified beds can be operated."
Next: Antje Heise
"This whole development is already happening at the expense of non-Covid patients in intensive care units. But now it will soon also affect vaccinated patients, whose operations we have to postpone due to lack of space. The orthopedic patient will have to endure longer pain, the cancer patient will have a worse outlook. There is a great injustice looming."
Next: Antje Heise
"The patients we are treating now had their first symptoms three weeks ago. But at that time, we had 4,000 new infections every day. Today, it's over 9,000. If the percentage of those who come to the intensive care unit remains the same - and we have to assume that it will - then we're in for a very tough time. And just: with fewer resources than last year."
Next: Bettina Bergmann
"The problem is that nurses and doctors are now expected to increase their workloads again. They are expected to put their childcare on the back burner again. At the same time, the loudest criticism that we have too few staff comes from the unvaccinated, of all people. They demand Solidarity from the nurses and criticize their individual decision to leave their jobs or reduce their workload. However, they themselves insist on their individual freedom not to be vaccinated and risk using up any resources in the hospitals in the event of their own illness, resources that are then lacking for the treatment of those not suffering from covid (vaccinated). This puts all of us, all of society, in an almost unsolvable dilemma."