Dr Giuseppe Galati (San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, IT) shares his experience of treating patients with COVID-19 from Lombardy, Italy.

Questions:

• Can you describe the situation in Lombardy and the availability of ICU departments?
• How are patient populations/cohorts being prioritised for treatment?
• How about the patients with cardiovascular disease?
• Who are the most at risk and what is your advice for them?
• How is COVID-19 impacting the patients you see regularly?
• Are heart failure patients particularly at risk?
• Based on your experience how can physicians make the difference between heart failure and COVID-19 symptoms?
• What are you learning in Italy from this epidemic about healthcare management over the last years in your country?
• What is the standard PPE for healthcare workers in Italy when a) they treat COVID+ve and suspected COVID patients or b) they are performing aerosol generating procedures, such as intubation? (Question Submitted by @DrRajivsankar)
• What is your advice for healthcare workers who are preparing for the COVID-19 crisis?

Recorded remotely from Lombardy.