Last year we welcomed two Italian clinicians who work in pre-hospital care to our base and formed a good working relationship with them. We recently got in touch with one of them to find out how they are handling the current COVID-19 situation.
Simone Celi, an advanced nurse practitioner, works for the Regional Emergency-Urgency Agency (AREU) in the Lombardy region in Northern Italy.
He originally visited GNAAS with a colleague to learn about delivering blood transfusions in a pre-hospital setting and observed the critical care teams at both Langwathby and Teesside International Airport for four days.
COVID-19: With your help we will fly on
He has since been a large supporter of GNAAS and provided us with an update.
“The situation here in Brescia province in the Lombardy region is very hard. We have the second highest number of contagions for a province in Lombardy.
In my hospital we proceeded to equip a COVID-19 dedicated field hospital.
In this field hospital we visit only COVID-19 suspected patients, we provide blood tests, chest x-rays and ultrasound and COVID-19 buffers.
Now we can host 90 patients, for a minimum of 12 hours and then they are admitted in hospital or alternatively discharged at home.
The field hospital is managed by doctors and nurses of Brescia ambulance service (AREU) and Accident & Emergency (ASST Spedali Civili).
COVID-19: With your help we will fly on
I’m worried for me but also for my loved ones, especially my girlfriend Fabrizia who lives with me. I try to always be very careful during my work, using all available PPE and changing my clothes in hospital so I arrive home clean.
I’m worried for my city, Brescia, one of the most beautiful in the North of Italy, that is paying a too high human tribute.
We are strong, we must be strong, we continue to work hard for our patients and we hope that this bad dream can finish as soon as possible.”
Sharing key messages
Since Simone provided us with an update, both his colleagues in Italy and our team at GNAAS have shared some key messages regarding coronavirus in Italian and English.
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