Rome, March 20 (RHC)-- The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has topped 10,000, with nearly a quarter of a million confirmed cases of COVID-19.  Italy’s death toll has now surpassed China’s, where the outbreak was first reported, with over 3,400 deaths and more than 41,000 confirmed cases. 

In Milan, nurses report they’ve stopped counting the dead as wave after wave of COVID-19 patients with respiratory ailments overwhelm intensive care units.  One nurse, Daniela Confalonieri, told reporters: “The problem is that so many of our staff are at home, as they are testing positive for COVID-19.  So that leaves a handful of us to run everything. … We’re working in a state of very high stress and tension.  Psychological tension has gone through the roof.  Unfortunately, we can’t contain the situation in Lombardy.  There’s a high level of contagion, and we’re not even counting the dead anymore.”