Silvio Berlusconi ‘in most delicate phase of the virus’ his doctor says
Former Italian premier SilvioBerl us con i is responding“optimally” to Covid -19 treatment but belongs to the most vulnerable category of patients and is in “the most delicate phase” of the virus, his doctor said.
Dr Alberto Zangrillo, who is head of intensive care at San Ra ff ae le Hospital in Milan, repeated that he nevertheless remained“cautiously optimistic” about Mr Berlusconi’s recovery.
“The patient is responding optimally to treatment,” he said.
“This doesn’t mean we can claim victory because, as you know, he belongs to the most fragile category” given his age, Dr Zangrillo added.
He also suggested Mr B erlusconi would not be released anytime soon, recalling that the virus “requires adequate treatment and takes its time”.
The three-time premier turns 84 in a few weeks and has had a history of heart problems that required being fitted with a pacemaker several years ago.
He checked into San Raffaele on Friday after testing positive for the virus earlier in the week.
Dr Zangrillo said at the time that he had the early stages of a lung infection.
Data from Italy’s Sup erior Institute of Health indicates men aged 80-87 have the highest Covid-19 death rate among all cases in Italy, at 47 per cent.
Mr Berlusconi spent some of his summer at his seaside villa on Sardinia’s Emerald Coast.
Many of Italy’s recent cases of Covid-19 have been linked to clusters in people who have been on holiday in Sardinia.
Dr Zangrillo, Mr B erlusco - ni’s longtime doctor, is head of intensive care at San Raffaele. Mr B erlusconi is believed to still be in a VIP ward.
Dr Zangrillo has been criticised for having asser ted at the end of May, when Italy’s lockdown had greatly slowed its rate of new infections, that “clinically speaking the virus doesn’t exist anymore”.
He has since acknowledged that statement was too strong and “off-key” and was based merely on observing that fewer patients required intensive care at the time.