A new study from Italy, the epicenter of the European Covid-19 outbreak, heralds a potential comeback for the event industry. And very soon.

Dr. Alberto Zangrillo is the Head of the Intensive Care Unit at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. He saw firsthand the devastation that the virus has wrought in Milan, Italy’s largest business city. A few days ago, he posted a shocking statement that drew a mixture of criticism and support from the national and international medical community: “The virus in Italy no longer exists clinically.” This announcement came as a shock to the country, which has not yet stopped quarantine measures.

Coronavirus viral load in May is significantly lower than March

Zangrillo continued his research at the San Raffaele Hospital, soon to be published in the Journal of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM). The study compares the results of 100 Covid-19 tests in March and 100 tests in May. The virus appears to be “extremely weakened,” the study co-author confirmed. The study confirms the experience of other doctors in Italy. “The strength of the virus two months ago is not what it is today.”

It is important to note that “strength” and “weakness” in these senses refer exclusively to viral load – the number of actual individual viral units found on a given test. This should not be confused with a virus of lower activity or a virus that is somehow genetically different from the coronavirus that we initially thought it would be worth stopping.

“We’re not saying the virus has changed,” Zangrillo said, explaining that the results could be related to changes in the group tested. But the discovery that things can go back to normal is also controversial. Some doctors say, “As the number of infected people decreases, when the group is examined, there will be more people who are not so sick.”

The WHO also responded by supporting this approach and emphasizing that there is no evidence that the virus itself is less serious or infectious.