Early experience of an infectious and tropical diseases unit during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Florence, Italy, February to March 2020

Euro Surveill. 2020 Apr;25(17):2000556. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.17.2000556.

Abstract

We analysed the first 84 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients hospitalised in an infectious and tropical disease unit in Florence, Italy, over 30 days after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. A 12% reduction in the rate of intensive care unit transfer was observed after the implementation of intensity care measures in the regular ward such as increasing the nurse/patient ratio, presence of critical care physicians and using high flow nasal cannulae oxygenation.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cohort; Florence; ICU; Italy; SARS-CoV-2; pandemic.

MeSH terms

  • Age Distribution
  • Aged
  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Cannula
  • Cohort Studies
  • Comorbidity
  • Contact Tracing
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / mortality*
  • Coronavirus Infections / therapy*
  • Coronavirus*
  • Critical Care
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intensive Care Units / organization & administration*
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics*
  • Patient Transfer
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / mortality*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / therapy*
  • Respiratory Care Units
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Sex Distribution
  • Treatment Outcome