[soneil]

numbers for a year aren't hugely useful. The issue is the concurrent rate, not the annual rate.

I'm in Ireland - the numbers given on Wednesday were 15 ICU beds free nationwide, with 40% of beds being used by covid patients.

An easy month and a tough month might average out over the year, it doesn't actually help anyone if there's a lack of beds during the tough month.

It's like the "HN hug of death" - if your server fell over when you needed it, it doesn't matter if you got no visitors for the rest of the year. The average is irrelevant.

[jmnicolas]

The "HN hug of death" is a sign that your infrastructure is not adequate.

A regular flu year was 1.5% hospitalization. We're drowning with .5 more after years and years of reducing hospitals capacity.

I can't comment on Ireland I don't know the situation but I'd bet it's the same than in France: not enough beds when something is a bit out of the ordinary.