As nationwide lockdowns grip Italy to combat COVID-19, hospitals in Lombardy face a critical breaking point.
Initially, quarantine measures covered a quarter of Italy's population to slow the virus. With 463 deaths and over 9,000 cases reported, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extended restrictions peninsula-wide until April 3.
Italians must now "avoid traveling" except for work, essentials, or medical care. Public transport remains open to sustain the economy, Conte confirmed.
Speaking to Il Corriere della Sera, Dr. Christian Salaroli, an anesthesiologist-intensivist at Bergamo's Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, described how Lombardy doctors—handling most cases—are triaging patients by age and health, as in wartime, due to severe shortages.
Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia or acute respiratory failure first receive non-invasive ventilation via oxygen mask.
"It's a starting point, but soon we must choose," Dr. Salaroli explains. With resources far outstripped by critically ill patients, intubation isn't possible for all.
"We base decisions on age and condition," he adds. "For those 80-95 with severe failure, or multi-organ shutdown in 2-3 systems—mortality at 100%—chances are slim."
His colleagues feel "utterly overwhelmed." "A department head or new doctor may decide someone's fate at dawn," he shares.
Dr. Salaroli called quarantines for Lombardy and Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Piemonte too late. "Stay home now. Streets are still busy—you can't fathom what's unfolding."
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