More than two-thirds of intensive care patients men
More than two thirds of Covid patients admitted to intensive care are men, Health Minister Paulette Lenert said late on Friday, just hours before new restrictions kicked in.
Just over 70% of intensive care patients were men and 30% were women, data from the Health Ministry in response to a parliamentary question showed. The largest gap was among people aged between 35 and 39, where 85% of the most critically ill were men.
Among the under 30-year-olds, the admission rate was almost equal, with 54.5% of men and 45.5% of women ending up in intensive care.
But despite the gap in intensive care admissions, the death rate was similar between the two sexes, with 55% of men and 45% of women making up Luxembourg’s 907 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
On Christmas Day, new measures came into place as the country grapples with rising cases, with more restrictions targeting the unvaccinated. Hospitality venues now close at 11pm and additional tests are required for those who have not yet received a booster vaccine.
Luxembourg’s infection rates continue to rise, with 600 cases recorded on Wednesday last week and 711 cases on the 14 December – the highest daily infection rate this year.
The percentage of men and women in a hospital ward, but not critical enough to be in intensive care, was almost identical, with 52% being men and 48% women, the Health Ministry’s data showed.
Almost three-quarters of Covid-19 patients in intensive care in Luxembourg hospitals two weeks ago were unvaccinated - or not fully vaccinated – the latest official figures showed.
"We don't know how big the risk is to get severely ill, to end up in hospital or to die [from Omicron],” Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said during a press conference last week as he unveiled the new restrictions. "Because we don't know that, it is important we remain cautious,” he said.
To gain access to a restaurant or a bar customers will now also need to show they have received a booster shot, or perform a rapid self-test. Hospitality venues will also be required to close their doors at 11pm and more limits will apply to numbers at public gatherings.
From 15 January, all workers in Luxembourg will need to show proof of vaccination if they want to come to the office, or be prepared to take daily tests. If they refuse, employers will have powers to force them to take the day off or dock their pay.
Those who have received a first jab but still waiting for a second dose can be tested free of charge as of 14 January.
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