Italian couple of 60 years die two hours apart from COVID-19

Luigi Carrara and Severra Belotti.
Luigi Carrara and Severra Belotti. Photo credit: Facebook/Luca Carrara

An elderly couple has died less than two hours apart from coronavirus after struggling to find medical help.

The couple's son Luca Carrara said they had been confined to their home in Albina, in northern Italy for eight days with fevers of 39 degrees celsius.

His father Luigi Carrara, 86, was taken to hospital on Saturday when his condition deteriorated, and his wife Severra Belotti, 82, was admitted the following day.

They died at 9:15am and 11am on Tuesday.

Luca spoke to local newspaper Corriere della Sera where he said he was distraught that he didn't get to see his parents before they passed away.

"They died alone, that's how this virus works," he said. 

"Your loved ones are left alone and you can't even say goodbye, hug them, try to give them some comfort. (You can't even tell them) a good lie like 'everything will be fine'."

Luca Carrara said he was devastated by the deaths of his parents.
Luca Carrara said he was devastated by the deaths of his parents. Photo credit: Facebook/Luca Carrara

He said he had struggled to get medical assistance for his parents, claiming emergency services did not send help after his calls. When they finally managed to get to hospital, he said it was extremely unorganised.

"In the hospital everything is disastrous."

He told the newspaper the doctors were choosing which people to save and "leaving the elderly to die".

"But what can they do?" he added.

Luca instead posted on social media to say goodbye to his parents. 

"Hi mum and dad, this bad virus has taken you both on the same day.

"Will you keep arguing up there too? I think so, but then everything will end with a hug."

Luca, who works for a water utility company, is now in isolation with his wife and two children and he said it was making him even more miserable.

"Myself, my children and my wife are in quarantine so the sadness is twofold," he wrote in the Facebook post. 

"Right now I can't even see my sister, who has taken care of all the paperwork. 

"No one can come visit me. Nothing. In one day I lost both my parents. But as my father always said, 'let's move on'."

Italy has gone into a nationwide lockdown period as the death toll passes 1000.

The number of cases in the country is now over 15,000 and is the worst coronavirus outbreak outside China.