COVID-19 Medical and Pharmacological Management in the European Countries Compared to Italy: An Overview

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 2;19(7):4262. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19074262.

Abstract

(1) Background: Italy accounts for more than 150,000 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the top rank in SARS-CoV-2-caused deceases in Europe. A survey on the different ways by which the COVID-19 pandemic emergency was managed in the foreign European countries compared to Italy is the purpose of this paper. (2) Methods: A literature search and various mathematical algorithms to approach a rank scoring scale were used to describe in detail the different approaches used by European countries to manage the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. (3) Results: The study showed that Italy stands at the bottom ranking for COVID-19 management due to its high mortality rate. Possible causes of the observed huge numbers of hospitalization and deaths were (a) the demographic composition of the European country; (b) its decentralized healthcare system organization; (c) the role of correct pharmacology in the early stages before hospitalization. Post-mortem examinations were of paramount importance to elucidate the etiopathogenesis of COVID-19 and to tailor a suitable and proper therapy in the early symptomatic stages of COVID-19, preventing hospitalization. (4) Conclusions: Factors such as the significant impact on elderly people, the public health organization prevalently state-owned and represented mainly by hospitals, and criticism of the home therapy approach toward SARS-CoV-2-infected people, may have concurred in increasing the number of COVID-19 deaths in Italy.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology; deaths rate; healthcare system; paracetamol.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2