China sends experts and medical supplies to Italy to help fight coronavirus

Medical supplies, including face masks and respirators sent by China, have recently arrived in Italy. The supplies were sent by China to help Italy battle the growing coronavirus crisis there. Italy is the worst-hit European country with 17,660 reported cases and 1,266 total deaths.

Help organised by Red Cross

According to reports, a team of nine Chinese doctors also arrived in Italy on March 12. They brought with themselves 30 tonnes of equipment on a medical flight that had been organised by the Chinese Red Cross. As per reports,  the head of the Italian Red Cross, Francesco Rocca has said that Italy is going through a moment of great stress and one of great difficulty and therefore they are relieved to have this arrival of supplies.

Rocca added that while the supplies will only help temporarily they are still very significant. According to reports, Italy is in desperate need of masks right now as well as respirators. The large scale coronavirus outbreak that has forced Italy into a nationwide lockdown threatens to overwhelm the hospitals and key supplies in the country are running low. As per reports, other member states of the European Union had earlier refused Italy's request for help, the other nations are stockpiling medical equipment to help their own citizens in the future.

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Since being first detected in the Chinese province of Wuhan in late December, COVID-19 has now spread to over 140 countries. Being one of the major coronavirus-hit countries outside China, Italy has reported over 17,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,200 deaths with thousands in quarantine.