Coronavirus is disappearing in Italy; weakens and losing potency, top Italian doctor says

Italy is one of the the most ravaged countries by the coronavirus pandemic. Now, it seems there are some good news stories coming out of the country. According to Italian doctors, coronavirus is now disappearing in the country.

Alberto Zangrillo, who heads a hospital in Milan, said that “in reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy,” according to a report from Reuters. Dr. Alberto Zangrillo is the head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy’s coronavirus contagion.

“The swabs that were performed over the last 10 days showed a viral load in quantitative terms that was absolutely infinitesimal compared to the ones carried out a month or two months ago,” he told RAI television.

Italy has the third highest death toll in the world from COVID-19, with 33,415 people dying since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21. It has the sixth highest global tally of cases at 233,019.

However new infections and fatalities have fallen steadily in May and the country is unwinding some of the most rigid lockdown restrictions introduced anywhere on the continent.

Zangrillo said some experts were too alarmist about the prospect of a second wave of infections and politicians needed to take into account the new reality.

“We’ve got to get back to being a normal country,” he said. “Someone has to take responsibility for terrorizing the country.” However, Italian government remains cautious, saying it was far too soon to claim victory.

“Pending scientific evidence to support the thesis that the virus has disappeared … I would invite those who say they are sure of it not to confuse Italians,” Sandra Zampa, an undersecretary at the health ministry, said in a statement.