E-Paper | October 05, 2026

Top doctor sparks row with claim virus 'no longer exists' in Italy

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Visitors, one wearing a face mask and shield, walks across the Colosseum monument which reopens to the public on June 1, 2020 in Rome, while the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. - The Colosseum monument reopens on June 1, 2020 after having been closed since March 8, 2020, with adequate sanitary protection for staff and visitors, secure routes, compulsory reservations and modified schedules to avoid crowds at peak times. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) — AFP or licensors
Visitors, one wearing a face mask and shield, walks across the Colosseum monument which reopens to the public on June 1, 2020 in Rome, while the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. - The Colosseum monument reopens on June 1, 2020 after having been closed since March 8, 2020, with adequate sanitary protection for staff and visitors, secure routes, compulsory reservations and modified schedules to avoid crowds at peak times. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) — AFP or licensors
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Top scientists, health officials and the World Health Organisation on Monday rushed to counter claims made by a leading Italian doctor who said the new coronavirus “no longer exists” in the country, according to AFP.

The row came as Italy prepared the next stage of its gradual easing of a national lockdown imposed three months ago to fight the spread of the deadly virus.

“In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy,” said Alberto Zangrillo, head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

“The swabs performed over the past 10 days have showed a viral load that is absolutely infinitesimal in quantitative terms compared to those carried out a month or two months ago,” he said in an interview on RAI television on Sunday.

Visitors, one wearing a face mask and shield, walks across the Colosseum monument which reopened to the public on June 1, 2020 in Rome, while the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Colosseum monument reopened on June 1, 2020 after having been closed since March 8, 2020, with adequate sanitary protection for staff and visitors, secure routes, compulsory reservations and modified schedules to avoid crowds at peak times. — AFP
Visitors, one wearing a face mask and shield, walks across the Colosseum monument which reopened to the public on June 1, 2020 in Rome, while the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Colosseum monument reopened on June 1, 2020 after having been closed since March 8, 2020, with adequate sanitary protection for staff and visitors, secure routes, compulsory reservations and modified schedules to avoid crowds at peak times. — AFP

“Someone has to take responsibility for terrorising the country,” Zangrillo added.

Several specialists, in Italy and abroad, were quick to object to Zangrillo's remarks.

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