Mental health support to staff in a major hospital in Milan (Italy) during the COVID-19 pandemic: a framework of actions

摘要

To the Editor,As of 31 M arch 2020,m ore than 100000 cases of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)have been confirm ed in Italy.1 Progressive mitigation measures have been introduced by the Italian governm ent since 9 M arch 2020 to underm ine and break the virus transmission chain.However,the COVID-19-associated hospitalisation rate in Lombardy,the epicentre of the outbreak,has risen since the late days o f February 2020,by 30%each day,and it is only very recently that it slowed down to 5%daily,which still translates to 500 new patients every day who are in absolute need of hospital care.