Western Media: Why is Italy the worst affected country in Europe?

The number of confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in Italy has soared from three to more than 300 in just four days, making it one of the world’s worst affected countries, according to media outlets on February 26.

Experts have found several explanations for the particular situation, including more tests for new coronaviruses in Italy than in some other countries and the greater likelihood of “super-transmitters” in the country, EFE reported on February 25.

Roberto Brioni, an Italian virology professor, said one of the possible reasons for the rapid increase in the number of infections was that Italy had conducted more tests for the new coronavirus than some other countries, resulting in more confirmed cases.

Reported that, as the World Health Organization experts, Italy’s Health Ministry adviser Walter Ricciardi pointed out at a press conference, Italy has carried out 6,000 new coronavirus testing, while France has carried out only 300 people. As a result, Brioni said, “no more confirmed cases have been detected in other countries, probably because large-scale testing has not yet been carried out.” ”

Professor Ilaria Capoua, a virologist at the University of Florida, agrees. She believes Italy may have “thousands of infected people or even self-healing people”, but there is no way to know how many people are infected.

“My guess is that the virus may have been circulating for a month, but no one noticed,” Capua said. ”

Capua noted that most cases in Italy are not severe and that “in healthy people, it may not cause symptoms”, so testing for the new coronavirus began only after the first death at the weekend.

Another theory put forward by Brioni, a professor at the University of Life and Health in San Rafael, Italy, is related to the existence of “super-communicators”. The number of “super-transmittors” carrying the new coronavirus is well above the average of 2.2, reaching 10, 20 or 30, as happened in South Korea, Mr. Brioni said. Italy is more likely to have “super-communicators” than some other countries.

Still, Mr. Brioni sends a message of calm. He said that “the increase in confirmed cases is normal” and that the extent of the increase depends on “the number of people infected a week ago.”