QCOSTARICA – The Hospital Nacional de Niños (HNN) – National Children’s Hospital – reported this week an occupation of up to 120% due to severe acute respiratory infections.

According to Carlos Jiménez, deputy director of the HNN, two weeks have passed since the last increase in hospitalizations.
“Since last week, an increasing trend began, with an average occupancy of respiratory beds ranging between 90% and 100%. For this week, that occupation reached 110% and 120%, we say that between 70 and 82 patients remain hospitalized for respiratory viruses,” explained Jiménez.
According to HNN data, on Friday, November 25, 81 children are in hospital for respiratory virus, of which 19 are Intensive Care (ICU).
A normal occupation is around 67 patients, according to the Children’s Hospital.
“In the ICU a normal occupation is 12 beds, we now have between 19 and 22 beds occupied,” said Jiménez.
According to the daily occupancy report, every day this week children woke up in the Emergency Room (ER) on ventilation waiting for an intensive care bed.