Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
An Italian doctor and nurse have been quarantined after a patient with COVID-19 symptoms spat at them because he was fed up with waiting.
The incident took place at Cotugno Hospital in the southern Italian city of Naples and the unnamed medics have been quarantined due to protocols in place for such incidents.
According to local media, a male patient, whose identity has not been disclosed, was at hospital with a high fever and wearing a face mask.
He asked staff for a sterilised muslin which reportedly took a long time to arrive and the man grew angry.
A doctor and nurse tried to calm the man down and he allegedly lowered his face mask and spat at them both.
The male and female medics were quarantined and the room where the incident took place was evacuated and disinfected, according to reports.
Hospital director Maurizio Di Mauro told local media: “We have lost a very good doctor and nurse. Spitting at someone during at a time like this, when you have fever and virus symptoms, is tantamount to shooting. There is no difference.”
It is unclear whether the patient is being investigated for the incident.
Italy has 12,462 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 827 patients have been reported as dead.
Meanwhile, 1,045 people in Italy have reportedly recovered from the virus.
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