Advertisement

Updated November 12th, 2020 at 22:58 IST

Lombardy hospitals overwhelmed with COVID patients

Italy, which shocked the world and itself when hospitals in the wealthy north were overwhelmed with coronavirus cases last spring, is again facing a systemic crisis, as confirmed positives passed the symbolic threshold of 1 million.

Lombardy hospitals overwhelmed with COVID patients
| Image:self

 

Italy, which shocked the world and itself when hospitals in the wealthy north were overwhelmed with coronavirus cases last spring, is again facing a systemic crisis, as confirmed positives passed the symbolic threshold of 1 million.

Lombardy, Italy's most populous and productive region, is again the epicenter of Italy’s pandemic.

Suspected COVID-19 patients are being processed at a medical check-point in Milan, set up in tents by the Italian army in order to ease the pressure on the health system.

The Italian army is setting up various structures to help the local hospitals cope with an influx of patients.

Additionally, the parking lots of the Formula One race track of Monza were recently converted into medical centers for intial screening of cases.

Many hospitals had queues of ambulances outside their first aid units and were diverting ambulances to other healthcare centers.

Among the hospitals that recently had to close its doors to ambulances was the Como Valduce hospital in Como.

Hospital director Claudio Zanon warned that the facility was on the verge of collapse.

"All beds are busy, all intensive care unit beds are busy, yesterday evening I declared the closing of the first aid unit for at least 12 hours, because I was not able to accept not even one more patient," said Zanon during a web conference with the Italian foreign press association on Thursday.

Como Valduce hospital is right in the center of the worst hit part of Lombardy.

The region’s hospitals are responding by reorganizing wards in a bid to avoid shutting down ordinary care, as happened during Italy’s first deadly coronavirus spike.

Still, hospitals in Lombardy and neighboring Piedmont - designated red zones by the government last week - have closed surgical, pediatric and geriatric wards to make room for COVID patients. Veneto, still a lowest-tier yellow zone, is preparing to cancel all non-urgent procedures this week.

Nationwide, virus hospitalizations rose 68% from October 19-25, a whopping total of 12,006 admissions over seven days, just as the Italian government moved to close restaurants and bars at 6 p.m., and completely shutter theaters, gyms and swimming pools.

Hospitals are now struggling to find enough trained specialists - especially anesthesiologists for critical care units - and other medical personnel to cover for doctors and nurses under quarantine after falling ill or being exposed.

Health officials are especially concerned because the virus is no longer contained to northern Italy but is spreading to the south, with its more fragile health care system.

And Italy’s new epicenter, spanning from Varese to Milan, finds itself again getting walloped by the pandemic this fall after only the briefest of respites this summer.

As of Wednesday, 52% of Italy's hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, above the 40% warning threshold set by the Health Ministry.

Nine of Italy’s 21 regions and autonomous provinces are already securely in the red-alert zone, above 50% virus occupancy, with Lombardy at 75%, Piedmont at 92% and South Tyrol at an astonishing 99%.

Advertisement

Published November 12th, 2020 at 22:58 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

former dsp shailendra singh revealed criminal activity of Mukhtar Ansari
a few seconds ago
IBL Finance IPO
4 minutes ago
RCB women's team and Virat Kohli
4 minutes ago
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell
8 minutes ago
RBI
18 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE
19 minutes ago
TCS 'cash for jobs' scam
25 minutes ago
Congress Press Conference
30 minutes ago
Virat Kohli keeps a close watch on Gautam Gambhir
31 minutes ago
Good Friday
36 minutes ago
Life Insurance Corporation
36 minutes ago
Kerala Nirmal Lottery Sambad Friday Result
41 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo