Robots help nurses in Italy care for virus patients

Robots were successfully introduced in a hospital in the Lombardy region in northern Italy to help nurses caring for coronavirus patients.

Their work is having a positive impact on both patients and nurses, says Gianni Bonelli, the CEO of Sette Laghi Health Authority that oversees Varese's Circolo Hospital, where six of the robots, named Tommy are being employed.

Nurses wheel them to the patients room, and once near the bed doctors can use them to remotely monitor their parameters.

Patients can use the robots' touch screen to directly communicate with their carers.

Bonelli says using the robots not only allows doctors to have a closer relationship with patients in isolation but it also means the hospital can more effectively use a resource that is scarce these days: protective equipment for hospital staff.

Bonelli is a strong supporter of innovation and technology in hospital practices.

Another robot is also helping patients communicate with doctors. His name is Ivo and his design is simple: a tablet mounted on a monopod on wheels that can be remotely controlled by hospital staff through a computer or a smartphone.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.