Sorry, only now catching up on stuff.
Italy really is a very different country north/south.
The north is an advanced first world nation, while much of the south is closer 2nd world.
The healthcare system in Lombardy is world class, full stop.
I say this out of facts (ie it has one of the lowest -if not THE lowest- child and mother mortality at delivery in the world) and anecdotal evidence.
Having been treated across the globe, the only system that I’ve seen that kind of compares is the French system.
If you look at WHO rankings, italy is number 2 worldwide after France, and again remember the effectiveness is hampered by a subpar system in the south.
Maybe the the best hospitals in the USA are better than any hospital in Italy, but if you look at the averages it’s a different story.
My dad believes the high mortality we are experiencing is due to a mix of
- we are one of the oldest countries in the world in terms of age brackets.
- the hospitals of Bergamo and Brescia (the two hardest hit cities nowadays) are severely overwhelmed.
In practical terms this means available respirators go to younger people and the old infected are basically left to die
- up until a short while ago, we would only test people with bad symptoms: the real denominator is likely much bigger
All the above makes me very worried for the USA.
Part of me was hoping it was a transfusion but it sure looked like drainage.
