Indications for healthcare surge capacity in European countries facing an exponential increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, March 2020
Frederik Verelst, Elise Kuylen, Philippe Beutels
Abstract
European healthcare systems face extreme pressure from coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We relate country-specific accumulated COVID-19 deaths (intensity approach) and active COVID-19 cases (magnitude approach) to measures of healthcare system capacity: hospital beds, healthcare workers and healthcare expenditure. Modelled by the intensity approach with a composite measure for healthcare capacity, the countries experiencing the highest pressure on 25 March 2020 - relative to Italy on 11 March - were Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and France (www.covid-hcpressure.org).
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Surge CapacityHealth careHealthcare systemSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Pandemic2019-20 coronavirus outbreakMedicineDiseaseVirologyEconomic growthInfectious disease (medical specialty)EconomicsOutbreakPathologyGlobal Health Care IssuesHealthcare Systems and ReformsEmergency and Acute Care Studies