‘Ticking time bomb’: Hospitals in Italy at breaking point as doctors overwhelmed by coronavirus crisis

Doctor who was on frontline in Aids epidemic fight tells current health crisis is ‘unlike anything’ he’s ever seen before

Paramedics stand by a tent that was set up outside the emergency ward of Cremona's hospital (AP)

Doctor Angelo Pan is at work today – for the 24th day in a row.

He has been on his feet frantically helping patients for 12 to 15 hours a day, before then spending two hours dealing with emails and admin when he gets home at night.

He is the director of the Infectious Diseases department at the hospital in Cremona, some 17 miles to the east of the cordoned “red zone”— the coronavirus outbreak area in Northern Italy.