Belgium launches COVID patient air-lifts to Germany

A patient infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is transported in a plastic cover to a medical helicopter assigned by the Centre Medical Heliporte (CMH) of Bra-sur-Lienne, to be transferred from the CHU de Liege hospital to Germany in Liege, Belgium November 3, 2020, REUTERS/Yves Herman

LIEGE, Belgium (Reuters) - Belgium's surging second wave of COVID-19 cases has forced it to move some severely ill patients, many on ventilators, to neighbouring Germany, and air ambulances began flying Belgian patients further into the country on Tuesday.

The helicopter operator transports each COVID sufferer inside a giant transparent plastic bag connected to medical devices. Most of the transferred patients are intubated and on ventilators.