Five more Italian doctors die battling coronavirus

Five more Italian doctors die battling coronavirus: Thirteen medics have now lost their lives, with 2,629 health workers infected - 8.3% of country's total

By Tim Stickings and Chris Dyer For Mailonline08:07 GMT 19 Mar 2020 , updated 23:03 GMT 19 Mar 2020

• Five new Italian doctors have died from coronavirus, taking the death toll among medics up to 13 people 
• Two of the doctors were in their 70s and had come out of retirement to help battle the deadly COVID-19
• A health foundation released the figures last night and warned that protection for doctors were 'inadequate'
• Nearly 0.3 per cent of Italy's health workers have been infected, taking them out of service at time of need 
• Number of cases and deaths spiked last night in a blow to hopes that the quarantine was starting to work 
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

Five more Italian doctors have died from coronavirus, bringing the death doll among medics in the country to 13 as it was revealed 2,629 health workers have been infected.

Initially three new fatalities were named as Luigi Ablondi, former general manager of Crema hospital, Giuseppe Finzi, a hospital doctor in Cremona and a general practitioner in Bergamo called Antonino Buttafuoco.

Then later today it emerged another two medical workers had passed away from the illness, the Italian national federation of doctors guilds said.

More than 2,600 medical workers have been infected with coronavirus in Italy - 8.3 per cent of the country's total cases, it emerged last night, as the government extended lockdown measures beyond the start of April today.

There has been growing concerns about the safety of front-line medical staff who come into regular contact with infected patients. 

Dr Buttafuoco, who tested positive for the virus, was unable to overcome the symptoms of the disease and passed away yesterday at the age of 66.

Dr Giuseppe Finzi, 62, worked at University Hospital of Parma and had previously run for mayor of Soragna, local media report.

Dr Luigi Ablondi died at the Cremasco hospital, which he had  run for 11 years, on Monday at the age of 66, according to Il Nuovo Torrazzo.

Luigi Ablondi, 66, the former general manager of Crema hospital died at the Cremasco hospital on Monday, it was revealed today

It was also announced that pneumologist at Sant'Anna hospital in Como, Giuseppe Lanati, and GP Luigi Frusciante, who was a GP in Sagnino, had died on Sunday.

Both Lanati, 73, and Frusciante, 71, had come out of retirement to help their community during the coronavirus crisis, which had hit Italy harder than any other country outside China.

Previously doctors Raffaele Giura and Franco Galli also died of coronavirus, local media reported last week.

The latest figures on infected healthcare workers were released by a health foundation which said the 'huge number' of infected medics showed that procedures and protection equipment for doctors were 'still inadequate'. 

The problem is far worse than in China, because '8.3 per cent is more than double the percentage of the Chinese cohort', the Gimbe foundation's president Nino Cartabellotta told Italian media. 

According to the figures, which are drawn from official data, the number of infected medics has risen by more than 1,500 just in the last eight days. 

The figure of 2,629 infected medical professionals means that nearly 0.3 per cent of Italy's health workers have caught the disease - taking them out of service when they are desperately needed.  

No more talking: adequately protect those who must protect us,' Cartabellotta urged last night.

It came as Italy recorded a record 4,207 infections and 475 new deaths from the virus yesterday, squashing hopes that the unprecedented national lockdown was beginning to slow the spread of the pathogen. 

Prime minister Giuseppe Conte has now warned that quarantine measures 'must be extended beyond their original deadline'. Some had initially been due to expire as early as next Wednesday. 

A coronavirus patient lies on his front in an intensive care unit at the Oglio Po hospital in Cremona today. Researchers believe lying face down can raise survival rates in intensive care by improving oxygen levels in the blood

Medical staff collect a patient from an ambulance at a hospital in Rome earlier this week - with more than 2,600 medical workers infected across Italy, adding to the country's crisis

Health workers in face masks work in a crowded area outside the Spedali di Brescia hospital in Italy, amid warnings that protection equipment and procedures for doctors are 'inadequate'

A triage department of the Spedali di Brescia hospital shows the first recovery of patients suspected of having coronavirus

This graph published by the Gimbe foundation showed that the number of infected medical workers has risen sharply

99% of people who died from virus had previous health problems 

More than 99 per cent of Italian virus deaths so far are patients who had previous health conditions, a study by the country's health authority suggests.

Research into 355 deaths showed that only three of the victims, 0.8 per cent, had no pre-existing health problems.

Nearly half of them - 48.5 per cent - had three or even more health conditions before they were infected with coronavirus.

Another 25.6 per cent had two other 'pathologies', while 25.1 per cent had one. 

The research is consistent with previous findings that people with existing medical problems are more likely to die if they catch the coronavirus.

According to the Italian study, the most common of these problems include high blood pressure and heart disease. 

Some 76.1 per cent of the dead patients had previously had problems with high arterial blood pressure, the study found. 

More than a third - 35.5 per cent - had diabetes, while 33.0 per cent had ischemic heart disease. 

Nearly a quarter, 24.5 per cent, had suffered from atrial fibrillation. 

Less common examples included dementia and liver disease.  

The study also found that the average age of people who died from the virus was 79.5.  

Again, that is consistent with previous findings that older people are more vulnerable to the disease.  

Italy's 475 new deaths are the largest number that any country, even China, has reported in a single day since the outbreak began late last year. 

The previous record high of 368 deaths was also recorded in Italy, on Sunday. 

The mounting death toll forced the army to intervene in the city of Bergamo yesterday to transport dozens of coffins out of the city.