The SIG Covid-19 Brasil, created by emergency by the University Telemedicine Network (RUTE) to deepen the discussion about the new coronavirus, enabled 70 Brazilian professionals to hear the report of the radiologist from Rio Grande do Sul Fabiane Barbosa, interventionist of the Niguarda Hospital, in Milan, located in Lombardia, a region with more than 42 thousand infected by Covid-19, on Monday (3/30).

The experience acquired in the assistance of the first cases of the pandemic can be crucial for the planning and the facing of the disease  in the subsequent moments. The human dimension Fabiane imprinted to the conversation showed even more the relevance of digital contact. All present felt close and even touched by the doctor’s testimony.

The radiologist, who lives for 15 years in Italy, started her presentation telling about the surprise with the huge increase of the number of cases. On 2/24, Covid-19 was a disease present in nine European countries only, amounting to 47 cases total. On 3/5, Italy had already registered 4,550 cases, but, according to Fabiane, the people continued going to the streets normally. According to her, the message about the need of protection was not correctly communicated. It took too long for the health authorities to realize that the sudden increase of cases of respiratory difficulties was due to the disease. In 15 days, the number of cases went to 12,462, and in ten days, there were 53,578 people infected. Among them, 61 doctors colleagues died victims of Covid-19.

Isolation is necessary

Fabiane confirmed the importance of isolation in the combat to the pandemic a lot of times. “The first cases in Italy were identified in Codogno, a small town close to Milan, where the inhabitants were confined until the contaminations were zeroed”, she told. She also described the concern of the team with cleanliness, which she described as obsessive, of all objects touched by any member of the treatment team, such as doorknobs and telephones. She also pointed out that all hospital personnel, including doormen and cleaning staff, must be carefully trained to use protection equipment. In Italy, norms with precautions  to be followed were published.

The union among professionals, Fabiane highlighted, is more important now than ever. “Analyze the evidences, act responsibly and gather all forces in the combat to the coronavirus are indispensable actions”, she pointed out. In this sense, teleconferences are extremely useful tools to enable exchange of experience. The doctor provided a lot of information about the case diagnosis, test kits, use of high resolution computed tomography, radiography and clinical observation to take treatment decisions. The Italian protocol contemplates hospital admission only in case of respiratory difficulty, and testing only people with symptoms of the disease. 

Human Dimension

On 2/23, Fabiane left her mother and her son in a mountain house, without scheduled date to meet again. “A month ago, life was normal, Today, there is a fine for those, who walk on the streets without justifiable reason”, she lamented. At the end of the meeting, the moderator, professor Evelyn Eseinstein, said that SIG, held on 3/30, coincided with Fabiane’s birthday. The specialists, who heard the report with a mix of respect and apprehension, sincerely desired that the next doctor’s birthday was celebrated with her family in an environment of love and happiness. And, above all, health. 

The SIG Covid-19 Brasil sessions are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The meetings are destined to doctors and researchers in the health area.

The session this Monday (30/3) could not be recorded upon instructions by the Italian government, who holds the spread of information about the pandemic of the Covid-19 in the country.