BERGAMO, April 25. /TASS/. Russian military medics have helped cure 40 people infected with the novel coronavirus at a field hospital in Bergamo along with their Italian colleagues, the Russian Defense Ministry informed, citing Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Yumanov, who heads the team of Russian military medics in Italy’s Bergamo.
"80 people infected with the novel coronavirus were admitted to the field hospital in Bergamo for treatment. 40 patients have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital," Yumanov said.
He noted that 15 people had been transferred to intensive care units, the condition of all of them had improved, and the majority of them had been transferred to regular medical wards to complete their treatment.
Yumanov said that the hospital receives patients with various symptoms of the disease. "The majority of them have mild and moderate symptoms, but there are a lot of people in a serious condition with shortness of breath. They require constant monitoring and medical care," the medic stated.
International teams at the field hospital consist of anaesthesiologists, general practitioners, epidemiologists and nurses. Russian military translators are also working on site, establishing communication between Russian and Italian medics.
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.