Low number of hospitalized patients during the pandemic

A total of 1,366,000 hospital care registrations were made in 2020, a six percent decrease compared to 2019, when 1,444,000 registrations were made.

“The lower number of hospital admissions in general is probably due to the fact that some people have avoided seeking care because of the pandemic,” Henrik Lysell, unit director at the National Council on Health and Care, says in a news release.

More than seven out of ten admissions, 994,000, are caused by the disease. All disease groups declined. Respiratory diseases fell the most, by 31 percent.

“Potential reasons for having fewer patients with respiratory illnesses could be the restrictions we have imposed in the community during the pandemic,” says Henrik Lysell.

30,500 who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 are not included in this number. Of these, just over 17,500 were men and just under 13,000 were women.

52 percent of those who received hospital care for illness were men. The main cause among men was cardiovascular disease, with 69,000 patients. Among women, the diagnosis of symptoms (eg, chest and abdominal pain) was more common with 53,000 patients.

Injuries and poisonings caused 139,000 people to be hospitalized. 130,000 pregnancies and deliveries.