Italian medical officer has died *edited by MNHQ*

[NellyGrace]

www.standard.co.uk/news/world/italy-medical-chief-dies-death-toll-coronavirus-covid19-a4386356.html

Italy have confirmed that they can’t cope with this peak, that there are not enough beds, and that those that dont have the virus, but are sick may not be treated, so if you have a heart attack for instance you may still end up dying as there are no beds etc etc. They now have the hard decision on who to treat for the virus and who not to. They are still getting loads of new cases a day, and that’s with them being on a form of lockdown.

Bojo and his crew explained they need to try and flatten the peak, delay the virus as long as possible so that we are not in that position, and have more beds etc available for those who may need them.

How do we know he didn’t have an underlying health condition? We don’t its all headlines etc

People need to stop reading the papers

Oh god this is so awful....

I am over 60 and immunosuppressed. I am so fed up about selfish people buying all the hand gel and cleaning stuff. I have spent the last 4 years keeping myself as well as possible, now I can't even get the basic things I need.

Yep. Shockingly bad reporting from the UK media as per, all ignorance and sensationalism.

Yes we all heard Bojo talk about needing to flatten the peak. What many of us are confused about is that there doesnt seem to be any action imminent to achieve that. As far as I can see, we are going to follow Itsly. Wait til the bodies are piling up then try and slam on the brakes.

I feel so sad for what Healthcare workers will have to go through with our outbreak.

“Not intubating people over 60”

When does that become not intubating people over 40 or people over 30?

Just because he is CMO it doesn't make the situation any worse.. He is human and just as likely to get it as anyone else!

@Porcupineinwaiting they stated in a press conference that self isolating anyone with any symptoms could reduce the peak by 25% and then soon they will bring in self isolating whole families if anyone shows any symptoms will reduce it by approx another 25%.. To be fair as well as. Much as everyone has slated the hand washing advice I have notice queues at the sinks is public toilets lately and people are definitely taking that advice on board. Everyone will claim those numbers are bs but none of us really know..

It is infuriating that people aren't working from home more.

We are fortunate enough to be able to do so in my industry and I sent my team home today. The last thing we need are employees too nervous to come to work or unable to focus properly.

I should imagine the only positive to come out of this is an open mindedness from businesses to allow their staff to work more flexibly. It is mind boggling that so much of our economy can be brought to it's knees because of a company's insistence that you must be in the office to conduct your role.

I appreciate that this doesn't apply to all jobs.

I distinctly remember reading early on when the virus was still mostly on Wuhan that a youngish doctor there had died of it and the theory was that in treating patients, he had been exposed to it over and over - a triple-mega dose, if you like.

I appreciate that this doesn't apply to all jobs.

It doesn't apply to almost any essential jobs, tbh.

That link is bloody scary, 38 year old with no existing problems and those of 20 needing breathing support.
I don't think many will realise how bd it is until it's too late and their loved ones are dying.

But surely if as many people as possible work from home it means less people out & about?

I work in an office of 2,000-3,000 depending on the day, the vast majority have laptops, those that don't have them on order & were moving to WFH rotas next week to start minimising the people in the office. Meetings are all cancelled, no big gatherings etc. Seems very sensible.

What I'd like to know is why is Italy suffereing more that most anywhere else in Europe?.

Rumour going around here in Dublin that we will be on full lock down by Monday. To date as well as schools, colleges, creches shut, we have libraries, art galleries, public leisure centres closed. Dublin Zoo is shut. Panic buying was crazy, one fella with 20 cans of rice in his trolley. Even in small local supermarkets, bread, milk, butter and toilet paper vanishing. I'm at home now as I work a four day week and there are loads of cars parked outside houses as people must be working from home. I also think schools etc. won't reopen for a week from 30th March and then close on the Friday for the two week Easter holidays.

Italy is such a popular tourist destination with pretty much everyone. I imagine that's a factor.

67 is a high risk group for Coronavirus, and front-line doctors will be getting run down from working non-stop, that makes them more likely to catch it badly (and make mistakes with their protective gear) and they're exposed to a higher viral load - lots more infection - so their system will be quickly overwhelmed. Like the difference between being hit by a wave or a tsunami full of virus.

The scientific papers and medical reports coming out of Italy are terrifying.

There was a lawyer from Italy on Radio 4 on Tuesday and she was saying that now they had locked the entire country down hopefully the people would follow the rules. Up until then many Italians had obeyed the rules but had just gone out for a coffee or drinks in the evening.

Italy is just further along the road.

It started in the massively industrial north. Foreign trade, Italy's main customers/suppliers like everywhere nowadays are increasingly Chinese. That's how it started and the Italian govt were slow to realise the severity. Only three weeks ago, 23rd Feb, there were a handful of cases in one place.

But the talking potato in Britain is going to use his special science so that's Ok.

The Italian govt has NOT said it is not intubating people or that its hospitals can't cope. It has said "may come a time when".

The many with the equivalent post in China also died. This disease is truly horrendous and needs to be taken more seriously. We don't just need Cobra, we need an international equivalent of Cobra.

It was fine to go out until Tuesday any time you wanted day or night unless you were in Lombardia and their lockdown only began on Sunday.

It is ironic that retirement age has been increased to 67

That's shocking but I believe what pianotuner567 said is right - they think medics with repeated exposure may get it worse, which might be why the young Chinese whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang died too. Very sad.

We don't just need Cobra, we need an international equivalent of Cobra. - isn't that the WHO, and then up to Govts to bloody listen?

I wish a cobra would eat Boris.