Simulating emergency patient flow during the COVID-19 pandemic

The work presented in this paper is based on two projects that were conducted at St. Olavs Hospital (Norway) when preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic. Three discrete event simulation models are provided to evaluate resource requirements during peak of First, we estimate number beds needed emergency department (ED). In second model, ambulances required maintain prepandemic response times patients. third model a coupling former models, and it used study effects ED boarding time needs analysed under different testing policies. A strict policy increases bed ED, while has opposite effect ambulances. Two distinct mechanisms causing found. from most prominent night weekends.