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Early COVID-19 pandemic response in Italy: Pros and cons

Publication date: 2020

Public Health and Governance, 2020, Volume 18, Issue 1, pp. 32 - 35

https://doi.org/10.4467/20842627OZ.20.002.12656

Authors

,
Nicola Magnavita
Department of Woman, Child & Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, Italy
Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0988-7344 Orcid
All publications →
,
Angelo Sacco
Local Sanitary Unit Roma 2, Rome, Italy.
Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8429-5314 Orcid
All publications →
Francesco Chirico
Health Service Department, Italian State Police, Milan, Italy
Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8737-4368 Orcid
All publications →

Titles

Early COVID-19 pandemic response in Italy: Pros and cons

Abstract

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy was one of the worst-affected European countries. The rapid surge of cases and the limited capacity of intensive care unit departments have posed a serious threat to the Italian national health system. In this paper we describe the first response and the main measures carried by Italian policy makers, as coordinated by a governmental committee of public health experts, which have succeeded in preventing the pandemic from turning into a disaster. Early closure of the school, quarantine measures and lockdown were put in place and the response of the population has been good overall.

Despite the Italian health care system of universal coverage is considered the second-best in the world, during phase 1, the Italian decentralisation and fragmentation of health services probably restricted timely interventions and effectiveness. In northern Italy, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, and Veneto, which reported most of the Italian cases, carried out different strategies against COVID-19, with great differences in testing, quarantine, and public health procedures.

The improvement of the epidemiological situation has allowed an easing of the restrictive measures, with a progressive restarting of work activities. The government and technical-scientific bodies have prepared health strategies to support a possible second epidemic wave in the autumn.

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Information

Information: Public Health and Governance, 2020, Volume 18, Issue 1, pp. 32 - 35

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

Early COVID-19 pandemic response in Italy: Pros and cons

English:

Early COVID-19 pandemic response in Italy: Pros and cons

Authors

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0988-7344

Nicola Magnavita
Department of Woman, Child & Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, Italy
Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0988-7344 Orcid
All publications →

Department of Woman, Child & Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, Italy

Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8429-5314

Angelo Sacco
Local Sanitary Unit Roma 2, Rome, Italy.
Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8429-5314 Orcid
All publications →

Local Sanitary Unit Roma 2, Rome, Italy.

Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8737-4368

Francesco Chirico
Health Service Department, Italian State Police, Milan, Italy
Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8737-4368 Orcid
All publications →

Health Service Department, Italian State Police, Milan, Italy

Post-graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

Published at: 2020

Article status: Open

Licence: CC BY-NC-ND  licence icon

Percentage share of authors:

Nicola Magnavita (Author) - 33%
Angelo Sacco (Author) - 33%
Francesco Chirico (Author) - 34%

Article corrections:

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Publication languages:

English

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Number of downloads: 1349

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