IDLIB, Syria (Reuters) – In both the Syrian capital Damascus and parts of the country that have rebelled against its rule during a decade of war, people are facing the same enemy: COVID-19.

The COVID-19 rise has caused hospitals to fill up with intensive care beds across Syria. This is putting pressure on fragile health systems that have been ravaged by war and slow vaccination campaigns.

Absi Mohamad Folad, a doctor in a rebel-held northwest hospital, said that there are many patients who require intensive care. “Unfortunately, we often have to either wait for them to be transferred from one wing or die so they can be replaced.”

Nearly 4 million people are living in the northwest. 1.7million of these live in camps set up for refugees.

Fouad said that hospitals could not absorb the attack and younger people are being more severely affected by it. His hospital had 70 beds and was experiencing oxygen shortages.

Mark Cutts is the U.N. deputy region humanitarian coordinator for Syria. He said more than 1,000 people are admitted to the hospital each day.

However, with limited testing supplies, this number may be even higher.

“We are deeply concerned. “This is the largest spike since the outbreak of the pandemics in northwestern Syria. The situation is the same in other parts.

It is a terrible situation. Hospitals are overwhelmed. He said that people are dying from lack of oxygen. Only 2% have been vaccinated in the northwest.

Slower progress has been made in Syria where there are approximately 18 million people.

According to health officials, around 117,000 people in the northwest have been given a shot. Nearly 450,000 people were vaccinated as a result of the government’s campaign.

Disposable gowns were used by medics to tend to the patients who had been connected to oxygen at a Damascus Hospital.

Tawfik Hadaba, chief of the Syrian ambulance services, explained that at one time, patients had to be sent to Homs. One of the patients infected with HIV was today transported to Hama. Homs is 140km (85miles) away Damascus. Hama, on the other hand, is approximately 180km.

According to the Syrian government’s figures, 442 infections occurred each day during this epidemic.

Since the outbreak last year, more than 31,000 people have contracted coronavirus and there has been over 2100 deaths due to it.