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Italy was the first Western country to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the country’s health system was caught off-guard and brought to its knees, particularly in northern Italy, due to the exceptional nature of this tragedy.

USCAs (Special Continuity of Care Units) are teams of doctors responsible for monitoring and providing home care for Covid-19 patients. They are responsible for assessing who needs to be hospitalised on the basis of the symptoms and state of health of those suffering from the virus, helping prevent accident and emergency departments and hospitals from becoming overwhelmed (Law Decree n. 14 of March 9, 2020).

USCA doctors are very young. As a matter of fact, due to the shortage of personnel to combat the pandemic, from March 2020, the recruitment of recent medicine graduates has been made easier, abolishing the state exam for qualification to the medical profession, with an urgent and extraordinary measure (Law Decree n. 18 of March 17, 2020).

The Emilia Romagna region (Northern Italy) was one of the first to implement USCAs (as early as March 2020), and they have always remained operational, even in periods in which the curve of infections flattened, becoming one of the fundamental resources in tackling the pandemic. At the end of 2020, the USCAs consisted of 420 people (358 doctors and 62 healthcare workers), with an average age of 33, making around 11,000 visits every month.

Young doctors put their postgraduate specialisations on hold, catapulted, from one day to the next, from studying the profession to tackling a pandemic on the front line, 7 days a week.

The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.

Home of an elderly woman visited by a USCA team who then requested hospitalization due to aggravating symptoms.
The door is open waiting for the EMTs to transport the woman to the ambulance. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
EMTs go to the home of an elderly lady as part of the hospitalization procedure,
requested by the USCA team, due to aggravating symptoms. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Marco Mambelli (28 years old), from the USCA team, meets two patients with major symptoms
(but not severe enough to require hospitalisation) at home. Cusercoli, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Paediatrician Roberto Vallicelli, guided by the USCA team in the preparation and adoption of safety devices, makes his first visit to Lorenzo,
a 5-day-old baby who, momentarily, lives in the basement of his house with his mother (who has tested positive for Covid-19),
while the rest of the family, who have tested negative, made up of her husband and two children aged 5 and 9, live upstairs. Forlì, Italy, November 9, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Giacomo Casadei, 26 years old, visiting a woman in quarantine in a Covid-19 hotel. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Alessandro Ruggi, of the USCA team, undresses after visiting a patient.
Forlì, Italy, December 7, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
The room where USCA doctors change their clothes when they come on duty. "Morgagni-Pierantoni" Hospital in Forlì, Italy, November 20, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Michela Lorusso (29 years old), from the USCA team, visits a patient with major symptoms
(but not severe enough to require hospitalisation) at home. Forlì, Italy, November 9, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr. Natalia Satur, 38 years old, visiting an elderly lady with severe symptoms. Around the table her son and daughter.
Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Dario Miceli (31 years old), of the USCA team, while examining a patient. Predappio, Italy, November 30, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Giacomo Casadei (26 years old) as he leaves a room of a Covid-19 Hotel, after a visit. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Dario Miceli, after visiting a patient, undresses and disinfects with the help of Dr Giacomo Casadei. Predappio, Italy, November 30, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Close-up of the room where the equipment used by the doctors in the USCA teams is disinfected and stored.
"Morgagni-Pierantoni" Hospital in Forlì, Italy, November 30, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr. Natalia Satur, 38 years old, from USCA team, getting ready in the courtyard of the house where she will pay a visit.
Forlì, Italy, December 4, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Bed in a room of a Covid-19 Hotel during a visit by USCA teams to quarantined guests. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
A holy card affixed above the door of an apartment.
Forlì, Italy, December 7, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Giacomo Casadei, 26 years old, while making visits in a Covid-19 Hotel. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
EMTs transport an elderly lady from her home to the ambulance, as part of the hospitalization procedure,
requested by the USCA team, due to aggravating symptoms. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.
Dr Giacomo Casadei, 26 years old, in the parking lot of a Covid-19 Hotel, after having concluded the visits. Forlì, Italy, November 24, 2020.
The photographs are slightly out of focus due to the transparent plastic I had to cover the camera with to avoid contamination.

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