Icon: enlarge
Pneumologist Yaosi Li from the Charité
Photo: Jesco Denzel / DER SPIEGEL
Yaosi Li
, 37, is a specialist in internal medicine at the Clinic for Infectiology and Pneumology at the
Charité
in Berlin.
"There are currently twelve Covid-19 patients in the 18 beds in our intensive care unit, one since spring and three since the summer months. Our patients usually belong to the very serious cases: Treating lung failure is one of our priorities. Some of my colleagues are also responsible for connecting patients with particularly advanced lung failure in other hospitals to an artificial lung, the technical term for the machine is called Ecmo. Then they bring the sick to us in a helicopter or ambulance. Our youngest Covid-19 patient was 27 years old .
Many patients have to lie on their stomach when they are ventilated.
We turn them on their backs once a day for personal hygiene and to examine them.
You do an ultrasound, check whether the tube is still in place, and if everything is in order, you turn the patient back.
This is very time-consuming, especially for the nursing staff, but we doctors are also busy with this procedure for one and a half hours per patient.
Read more with Spiegel Plus
More perspectives, more understanding.
Your advantages with SPIEGEL +
Icon: Check
DER SPIEGEL as a magazine
as an app, e-paper and on the e-reader
Icon: Check
All articles on SPIEGEL.de
Exclusive texts for SPIEGEL + readers
Icon: Check
Try one month for free
can be canceled online at any time
A price
only € 19.99 per month
One month for € 0.00
Try now for 0.00 € Buy nowArrow to the right
Already have a digital subscription? Register here
Restore iTunes subscription
SPIEGEL + is processed via your iTunes account and paid for with a purchase confirmation.
24 hours before it expires, the subscription is automatically renewed by one month at the current price of € 19.99.
You can cancel the subscription at any time in the settings of your iTunes account.
To use SPIEGEL + outside of this app, you must link the subscription to a SPIEGEL ID account immediately after purchase.
With the purchase you accept our general terms and conditions and privacy policy.