MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Russian doctors, who are helping Italy to tackle the novel coronavirus outbreak, have already cured 15 patients in the Italian city of Bergamo, the Russian Defense Ministry said on its website on Saturday.
"Since the start of the effort, a total of 54 patients have been admitted, 39 of them are still being treated. 15 persons have recovered and have already been discharged from the hospital," the statement quoted deputy commander of Russian radiation, chemical and biological defense troops, Sergei Kikot, as saying.
According to the official, special attention is paid to protecting the Russian specialists from coronavirus. They regularly pass tests for novel coronavirus at a multifunctional mobile lab.
Under the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, on March 22-25, the Russian Defense Ministry sent 15 military jets to Italy that transported virologists, epidemiologists and the necessary equipment to the country. According to the ministry, the group includes specialists who directly took part in fighting outbreaks of African swine fever, as well as developing vaccines against Ebola and the plague. The planes also delivered mobile stations for aerosol disinfection of transport and territories and medical equipment.
Russian military experts have been stationed in the town of Bergamo (Lombardy), one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy with a record number of infections and deaths in the country.