tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Environ Res Public Health
. 2020 May 22;17(10):E3666.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103666.
Italian Public Health Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Report From the Field, Insights and Challenges for the Department of Prevention
Emanuele Torri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Luca Gino Sbrogi?[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Enrico Di Rosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sandro Cinquetti[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Fausto Francia[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Antonio Ferro[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is rapidly progressing globally, and Italy, as one of the main pandemic hotspots, may provide some hard lessons for other countries. In this paper, we summarize the current organizational capacity and provide a pragmatic and narrative account of strategies and activities implemented by the Department of Prevention (Dipartimento di Prevenzione)-the regional entity of the Local Health Authority of the Italian National Health Service in charge of public health-since the beginning of the outbreak. We conduct a preliminary analysis of general strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the response strategies from a local perspective. Furthermore, we provide firsthand insights on future directions and priorities to manage this unprecedented pandemic. Our case report gives a qualitative view of the healthcare response, based on the experience of frontline professionals, with the aim to generate hypotheses about factors which may promote or hinder the prevention and management of a pandemic locally. We highlight the importance of a public health approach for responding to COVID-19 and reshaping healthcare systems.
Keywords: COVID-19; Italy; case report; hygiene and public health; pandemic response; public health department.
. 2020 May 22;17(10):E3666.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17103666.
Italian Public Health Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Report From the Field, Insights and Challenges for the Department of Prevention
Emanuele Torri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Luca Gino Sbrogi?[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Enrico Di Rosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sandro Cinquetti[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Fausto Francia[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Antonio Ferro[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32456072
- DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103666
Abstract
: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is rapidly progressing globally, and Italy, as one of the main pandemic hotspots, may provide some hard lessons for other countries. In this paper, we summarize the current organizational capacity and provide a pragmatic and narrative account of strategies and activities implemented by the Department of Prevention (Dipartimento di Prevenzione)-the regional entity of the Local Health Authority of the Italian National Health Service in charge of public health-since the beginning of the outbreak. We conduct a preliminary analysis of general strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the response strategies from a local perspective. Furthermore, we provide firsthand insights on future directions and priorities to manage this unprecedented pandemic. Our case report gives a qualitative view of the healthcare response, based on the experience of frontline professionals, with the aim to generate hypotheses about factors which may promote or hinder the prevention and management of a pandemic locally. We highlight the importance of a public health approach for responding to COVID-19 and reshaping healthcare systems.
Keywords: COVID-19; Italy; case report; hygiene and public health; pandemic response; public health department.