Just the Facts
By Christine Cutler
©Otello Ciavatti
As we are all aware, the first outbreak of the respirator y illness now known as coronavirus (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan, China. Most of those first patients were linked to large seafood and live animal markets, causing officials to report the virus was animal-to-person spread. As the virus continued to spread, most had no link to the markets which, in turn, indicated a person-to-person spread.
two weeks in ICU. The sheer number of patients has taxed the staffs, and while the nurse-to-patient ratio should be about 1-to-6, it is currently at 1-to-12 or more. Worse, there is a lack of sufficient number of ventilators, and doctors have to decide which patients receive intubation and which are left to die.
Novelia DiGianantonio, a resident of Sulmona who is in her 60s, told me that after reading that doctors are Coronaviruses are not new. They are a family of having to choose whom to save, she spent the day viruses that are common in both crying. “Up until a few days ago I people and animals, particularly knew that only God could have cattle, cats, bats, and camels. taken my life,” she said. “Now, I Because this virus spread so am not sure anymore. I might be rapidly, some people have no too old for the coronavirus, and idea how or where they picked with this pandemic, human up the virus. beings can take his place and decide that it is time for me to go. Who gives them the right? Severity Isn't all life precious?” Reports from China state that ~Novelia DiGianantonio the majority of the COVID-19 Luckily for Novelia, Sulmona is cases are relatively mild, but 16 in the Abruzzo region, one area that has not had a percent are serious. Anyone with an underlying large number of COVID-19 cases. The Italian chronic medical condition and senior citizens are at government’s decision to first quarantine the risk of developing serious complications, including COVID-19 red zone in the north and then shut down pneumonia. In China, 80 percent of those who died the entire country will help stem the spread of the were over 60 years of age; in Italy, the epicenter of disease there. (Note the graph on opposite page.) the outbreak in Europe, the average age of those who have died from the virus is 81.4 years. (Note: Italy has Most countries will face the same problems as Italy if the oldest population in Europe with its median age they cannot stop the illness from spreading. There being 47.3 years; the median age of the US, as an simply are not enough beds and ventilators to handle example, is 38.3 years.) In the sheer number of serious cases that healthcare professionals will face if the virus grows unchecked. Italy
“Up until a few days ago I knew that only God could have taken my life. Now, I am not sure anymore…”
At the time of this writing, Italy has almost 25,000 active cases of COVID-19; more that 1800 people have died from it. Hospitals in the north are under stress with severely ill patients spending more than
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Photo at top: Bologna’s normally busy Strada Maggiore is empty with the lockdown.
