Urgent Pacemaker Implantation Rates in the Veneto Region of Italy After the COVID-19 Outbreak

摘要

On February 21, the first cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection were diagnosed in hospitalized patients in the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy. Immediately, the population was warned by public health authorities to avoid nonurgent visits to the emergency department. During the subsequent days, the number of people affected, and the number of hospital beds occupied by patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increased exponentially. A lockdown was imposed by the Italian government on March 8. At the same time, the population was warned by public authorities not to misuse the emergency services due to the possible overload of hospital capacity and risk of infection.