KEY POINTS

  • Oprah Winfrey urges the public to be more aware and understand how people outside of Italy could help the said country amid COVID-19 outbreak
  • Winfrey talked to Dr. Marco Vergano, who in turn, said that people can help Italy by staying at home
  • Dr. Vergano said that as of now prevention is the best medicine

Oprah Winfrey took her message to Twitter urging the public to listen to an interview she had with Dr. Marco Vergano in order to understand the current situation of Italy amid the COVID-19 outbreak, and how we could help the besieged country.

Italy has become the first European country to take drastic isolation measures over the COVID-19 after five deaths with more than 50,000 residents in 11 northern towns in quarantine
Italy has become the first European country to take drastic isolation measures over the COVID-19 after five deaths with more than 50,000 residents in 11 northern towns in quarantine AFP / Miguel MEDINA

“People of the world, let’s listen to Dr. Marco Vergano and stay at home.” This was how Winfrey’s tweet started. “My free Apple TV conversation with people on the ground over there who can help us understand what this means for the people of Italy and all of us is available now.”

Winfrey then provided the video link where here fans and viewers can watch.

Winfrey shared a one-minute video clip of her interview with Dr. Vergano. Dr. Vergano is an Italian anesthesiologist and at the same time, chair of the Ethics Section of Società Italiana di Anestesia Analgesia Rianimazione e Terapia Intensiva or commonly known as SIAARTI, to her millions of Twitter followers.

During the interview, Winfrey asked Dr. Vergano how the people of the world could help the people in Italy amid the COVID-19 outbreak despite being bound within the comforts of their home.

Dr. Vergano, in turn, responded placing an emphasis on the importance of people staying at home. He said that as of the moment, the only medicine for COVID-19 is prevention; hence, it is very important to stringently follow the health care authorities’ instructions, otherwise, too many people will get sick at the same time and the influx of the same will bring pressure to the national health services which may lead to its eventual collapse.

On a separate tweet, Winfrey described her experience in Italy prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. She said she loved the culture, the food but most importantly, the “vibrancy” of the people.

“Now Italians are being brought to their knees as they find themselves in the eye of the storm of this virus,” she continued.

COVID-19 reportedly plagued Italy on Jan. 31. It has also been reported that Italy currently experiences a higher death toll than China. In fact, Italy has been reported to have the highest daily increase of COVID-19 deaths since Sunday.

coronavirus COVID-19 Italy - medical worker in protective gear
A medical worker in protective gear (C) tends to a patient on March 24, 2020 at the new COVID 3 level intensive care unit for coronavirus COVID-19 cases at the Casal Palocco hospital near Rome, during the country's lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 (new coronavirus) pandemic. ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

There has been a total of 6,820 deaths, as of Wednesday morning, CNBC reported. But the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases reportedly slowed down on the third consecutive, according to Angelo Borrelli, Chief of Emergency Commissioner and Civil Protection. 69,176 were reportedly infected in Italy, while 8,326 of which had reportedly been recovered from the disease.

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