SARS-CoV-2: The Lombardy scenario in numbers

• Published in: Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 2020-08, Vol.41 (8), p.983-984
• Main Authors: Molinari, Andrea, Pistoia, Federico, Antonelli, Giuditta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - mortality; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Fatalities; Health care; Health services; Health surveillance; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Infectious diseases; Italy - epidemiology; Letter to the Editor; Nursing; Outbreaks; Pandemics; Personal protective equipment; Pneumonia, Viral - mortality; Protective equipment; Public health; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Social impact; Ventilators
• ISSN: 0899-823X; 1559-6834
• DOI: 10.1017/ice.2020.115

To the Editor-On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to constitute a pandemic of COVID-19 infectious disease.1 On February 20, 2020, the first national cluster in Italy was identified in the Lombardy region after the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in a 38-year-old man with a severe pneumonia and no relevant exposure history.Reference Onder, Rezza and Brusaferro2 To date, 74,386 SARS-CoV-2 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported in Italy, with 32,346 cases in Lombardy alone, by far the most affected region.3 Given the extent of the phenomenon, we must urgently consider how the rapid spread of the infection can overload the National Health Service (SSN) and affect the mortality rate. The SSN is regarded as a high-level healthcare service, and it is regionally based.Reference Christopher, Murray and Lauer4 Specifically, Lombardy’s healthcare service is considered a benchmark in terms of quality and efficiency.Reference Bosio and Meroni5 In Lombardy, region of ~10 million people, the pre-crisis total intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity was of ~720 beds, with a mean occupancy rate in the winter months of 85%-90%.Reference Onder, Rezza and Brusaferro2 To deal with SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, the number of ICU beds has significantly increased, and several departments have been reorganized and dedicated exclusively to COVID-19 patients. Nonetheless, hospitals in Lombardy are dramatically overcrowded with lack of medications, mechanical ventilators, oxygen, and personal protective equipment (PPE).Reference Nacoti, Ciocca and Giupponi6 Clearly, the increased number of cases is posing a serious threat to the entire SSN.Reference Saglietto, D’Ascenzo and Zoccai7 We believe that the following numbers regarding the Lombardy region help to fully measure and elucidate the medical and social impact of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.