Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest during the Covid-19 Outbreak in Italy

Abstract

<p>Despite the risk of rapid respiratory failure<sup><a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2010418#">1</a></sup> and cardiac complications<sup><a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2010418#">2</a></sup> due to Covid-19, it is unclear whether there is an association between Covid-19 and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The Lombardy region of Italy was among the first areas to have an outbreak of Covid-19 outside China,<sup><a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2010418#">3</a></sup> and the first case there was diagnosed on February 20, 2020, in Lodi Province.<sup><a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2010418#">4</a></sup></p>