At least 24 Italian doctors have died since the beginning of the nation's devastating coronavirus outbreak, the country's .
The Federazione Nazionale degli Ordini dei Medici Chirurghi e degli Odontoiatri (FNOMCeO) listed the names of all doctors and surgeons who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic, as 4,824 health care workers test positive for the virus, according to the National Health Institute (ISS).
Evidence from China, and now Italy, show that health care workers on the frontline of the crisis are at higher risk of contracting the disease and experiencing more severe symptoms due to the high level of exposure. There are also concerns that health care workers do not have sufficient personal protective equipment, such as masks, due to shortages.
"Unfortunately, the sad list of doctors who fell during the COVID-19 epidemic is lengthening," the report, published in Italian, said, adding that the list will continue to be updated in memory of the deceased doctors.
Italy's Cremona Hospital Intensive Care where the most serious patients infected with coronavirus are being treated. Source: AAP
One of the doctors on the list is general practitioner Marcello Natali, 57, who died on the 18 March after sounding the alarm on the lack of medical supplies.
In an interview with shortly before his death, Mr Natali said he was forced to work without gloves due to supply shortages.
Hospitals in Italy have been overrun after the small European nation became the new epicentre of the pandemic, with close to 64,000 cases and 6,077 deaths reported as of Tuesday morning.
The number of deaths in Italy is almost double the 3,153 officially reported in China's Hubei province, where the deadly virus was first identified in December last year.
Italian medics have been forced to make heart-breaking decisions on which coronavirus patients will receive life-saving treatment, as the number of people in need of critical care surpassed the capacity of the health system.
On Saturday, local time, Italy set the world record for the number of coronavirus deaths in one day with 793 fatalities. On Monday, however, the number of new cases reported dropped from a high of 6,557 on Saturday to 4,789.
"These are positive numbers but I do not have the courage to firmly state that there is a downward trend," ISS' chief Silvio Brusaferro said.
Across the world, more than 372,000 cases have been confirmed. Of these, 100,885 have recovered and at least 16,380 have died.
Coronavirus symptoms can range from mild illness to pneumonia, according to the Federal Government's website, and can include a fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.
Below are the names of the Italian health workers who have died during the pandemic
Roberto Stella, Giuseppe Lanati, Giuseppe Borghi, Raffaele Jura, Carlo Zavaritt, Gino Fasoli, Luigi Frusciante, Mario Giovita, Luigi Ablondi, Franco Galli, Ivano Vezzulli, Massimo Borghese, Marcello Natali, Antonio Buttafuoco, Giuseppe Finzi, Francesco Foltrani, Andrea Carli, Bruna Galavotti, Piero Lucarelli, Vincenzo Leone, Antonio Buonomo, Leonardo Marchi, Manfredo Squeri, and Rosario Lupo.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
