According to doctors from several hospitals in Denmark, coronavirus patients are spending longer on respirators than expected.
Doctors from Rigshospitalet, Hvidovre and Bispebjerg hospitals report that it is more difficult to stabilise the patients than they had anticipated.
A recurring theme seems to be that patients suddenly having difficulty getting oxygen from their lungs into their bloodstream after spending a few days on a respirator.
Doctors turn up the amount of oxygen emitted from the respirators and things improve, but after a while the situation repeats itself.
According to an anaesthesiology and intensive care expert, Joachim Hoffmann-Petersen, the reason is that the coronavirus negates the ability of the lungs to transmit oxygen into the bloodstream.
Despite the challenge, the number of hosptialised coronavirus patients dropped for the fourth day in a row yesterday.
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More cases, fewer in hospital
According to figures from the Sundhedstyrelsen health authority, 504 people were in hospital with the coronavirus yesterday following a steady decline from 535 on April 1.
As Denmark continues to step up testing, the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, however.
An additional 278 new cases emerged yesterday and the total is now up to 4,647.
