Total active COVID-19 infections in Italy drop for first time

“Today, for the first time, we witness a decrease in the number of currently positive people,” noted Luca Richeldi, head of Pulmonary Medicine Division at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and member of the technical-scientific committee counseling the government in the emergency.

“It is a slight drop only … but for the first time since the pandemic broke out, we have the minus sign in this figure and I think this is an extremely encouraging signal,” he stressed.

Addressing reporters at the same press conference with Borrelli, the pulmonologist provided a further analysis of the country’s pandemic situation.

“Our picture is based on six parameters, and we are satisfied when some of them drop and some others increase,” Richeldi said.

More specifically, he explained, a drop in the numbers of people hospitalized, of patients in intensive care units, and in the total number of active positive people was of course a good sign.

At the same time, an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients put under home isolation (because not in need of hospital care) and in that of recoveries was positive as well.

“As of today, we have a situation in which only one out of the six parameters is not going towards the desirable direction, which is that of deaths,” Richeldi stressed, recalling the daily tally of fatalities still exceeded 400 units.

“Yet, we are aware — on the base of what epidemiologists tell us — that this specific parameter will be the last one to take the path we would like to see.”

Echoing a warning launched by Health Minister Roberto Speranza in an interview to private Radio Capital channel earlier in the day, the member of the technical-scientific committee clearly stated the encouraging signals should not make people think that “the battle was won.”

“The painful figure regarding fatalities must bring us to think over what has happened and is still happening … it must bring us to believe the fight is not over,” the chief pulmonologist said.

“Perhaps, we might be in a sort of ‘partial truce’, with regard to the coronavirus spreading, but for sure this is not the moment to let our guard down.”

Italy entered into a national lockdown on March 10 to contain the pandemic. The lockdown, which is expected to last until May 3, will be followed by a so-called “Phase Two,” involving “the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities,” the Italian government has explained.

Source: Xinhua