44% of new coronavirus infections in Italy occurred in care facilities

Rome, April 24

At least 44 per cent of new coronavirus infections registered this month in Italy occurred in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, according to the Superior Institutes of Health.

The data released on Friday confirms anecdotal evidence that eldercare facilities have become the major source of new infections in Italy, as elsewhere, given the vulnerability of residents and the lack of protective equipment for staff.

The next largest source of contagion from April 1-23 was among family members—nearly 25 per cent—collateral damage from Italy’s seven-week stay-at-home order, the first and most extensive in the West.

Nearly 11 per cent of infections were traced to hospitals, 4.2 per cent at work and 2 per cent in religious communities.

Also, the average number of people who will get COVID-19 from a single infected person—the so-called R0 — is now under 1 nationwide for the first time, according to the report.

It started out between 2-3 in hard-hit parts of the north, where the epicentre of Europe’s pandemic erupted, on February 21.

Stefano Merler of the Bruno Kessler Foundation, who analysed the data, says even though Italy’s lockdown had brought the R0 down to an average of 0.2-0.7 nationwide, “We’re still not in a situation of security.”

Virologists say Italy couldn’t consider re-opening until the R0 is well under 1, while adding that it won’t reach 0 until there is a vaccine. AP