Open Access

COVID‑19 in Northern Italy: An integrative overview of factors possibly influencing the sharp increase of the outbreak (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Marina Goumenou
    • Dimosthenis Sarigiannis
    • Aristidis Tsatsakis
    • Ourania Anesti
    • Anca Oana Docea
    • Dimitrios Petrakis
    • Dimitris Tsoukalas
    • Ronald Kostoff
    • Valeri Rakitskii
    • Demetrios A. Spandidos
    • Michael Aschner
    • Daniela Calina
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: April 16, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11079
  • Pages: 20-32
  • Copyright: © Goumenou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Italy is currently one of the countries seriously affected by the COVID‑19 pandemic. As per 10 April 2020, 147,577 people were found positive in a total of 906,864 tests performed and 18,849 people lost their lives. Among all cases, 70.2% of positive, and 79.4% of deaths occurred in the provinces of Northern Italy (Lombardi, Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Piemonte), where the outbreak first started. Originally, it was considered that the high number of positive cases and deaths in Italy resulted from COVID‑19 initially coming to Italy from China, its presumed country of origin. However, an analysis of the factors that played a role in the extent of this outbreak is needed. Evaluating which factors could be specific for a country and which might contribute the most is nevertheless complex, with accompanying high uncertainty. The purpose of this work is to discuss some of the possible contributing factors and their possible role in the relatively high infection and death rates in Northern Italy compared to other areas and countries.
View Figures
View References

Related Articles

Journal Cover

July-2020
Volume 22 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1791-2997
Online ISSN:1791-3004

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Goumenou M, Sarigiannis D, Tsatsakis A, Anesti O, Docea AO, Petrakis D, Tsoukalas D, Kostoff R, Rakitskii V, Spandidos DA, Spandidos DA, et al: COVID‑19 in Northern Italy: An integrative overview of factors possibly influencing the sharp increase of the outbreak (Review). Mol Med Rep 22: 20-32, 2020
APA
Goumenou, M., Sarigiannis, D., Tsatsakis, A., Anesti, O., Docea, A.O., Petrakis, D. ... Calina, D. (2020). COVID‑19 in Northern Italy: An integrative overview of factors possibly influencing the sharp increase of the outbreak (Review). Molecular Medicine Reports, 22, 20-32. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11079
MLA
Goumenou, M., Sarigiannis, D., Tsatsakis, A., Anesti, O., Docea, A. O., Petrakis, D., Tsoukalas, D., Kostoff, R., Rakitskii, V., Spandidos, D. A., Aschner, M., Calina, D."COVID‑19 in Northern Italy: An integrative overview of factors possibly influencing the sharp increase of the outbreak (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 22.1 (2020): 20-32.
Chicago
Goumenou, M., Sarigiannis, D., Tsatsakis, A., Anesti, O., Docea, A. O., Petrakis, D., Tsoukalas, D., Kostoff, R., Rakitskii, V., Spandidos, D. A., Aschner, M., Calina, D."COVID‑19 in Northern Italy: An integrative overview of factors possibly influencing the sharp increase of the outbreak (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 22, no. 1 (2020): 20-32. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11079