key: cord-1040797-ma6dozi1
authors: Duncan, Andra E.
title: Commentary: Cardiac surgery and COVID-19: Lessons learned in Italy – the hard way
date: 2020-11-04
journal: J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.10.096
sha: c9467f14b500aa3900e4201592ca282d20bbabed
doc_id: 1040797
cord_uid: ma6dozi1

nan

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health 8

Organization on March 11, 2020 1 -only a few months after a cluster of cases of "viral 9 pneumonia" were identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Since then, COVID-19 has taken its toll 10 world-wide. Italy was the first European nation to be affected by COVID-19. 2 By mid-March, 11 the COVID-19 pandemic had severely hit the country and was responsible for about 50% of 12 excess deaths. 3 While Italy was in the midst of this outbreak, the world observed the challenges 13 of this pandemic and the health care crisis that ensued. Many lessons could be learned. This major hospital in Italy learned these lessons the hard way. We have the opportunity to learn 40 from their experience, which, by far, is the preferred -and easier way. 41

WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic

The Outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy: Fighting the Pandemic

Italy's first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic 53 has ended: no excess mortality in May

Cardiac surgery outcomes in patients with 55

COVID-19: a case-series report