Containment measures avoid 200,000 hospitalizations in Italy

(Image: Pixabay CC0) - Researchers have modeled the effects of containment and social distancing measures implemented by the Italian government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Their findings show that contagion transmission was reduced by 45% in March. The model will now be used to analyze possible future scenarios. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, mobility restrictions and social distancing measures implemented by the Italian government have avoided at least 200,000 hospitalizations and, over time, reduced contagion transmission by 45%. These findings were published recently in the journal PNAS . The paper is co-authored by Professor Andrea Rinaldo, who heads EPFL's Laboratory of Ecohydrology (ECHO), and scientists from the Polytechnic University of Milan, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, the University of Zurich and the University of Padua. "We can conclude that the drastic measures taken by the Italian government have had a decisive effect, preventing the country's healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed," say the authors.