China has sent medical groups to help Italy and other countries fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Italy has become the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 9 percent and counting mortality rate – the highest in the world to date. 

One possible reason for the high COVID-19 mortality rate in Italy could be its large aging population. In 2020, 23.1 percent of Italy's total population was estimated to be 65 years and older, according to German online data portal Statistica.

Liang Zongan, head of the Chinese medical expert team to Italy, told CCTV that the aging population problem is quite evident in Italy during a video interview on March 23.

"There were only 1,000 patients in the Lombardia Intensive Care Unit for a while, but over 2,000 people have died," Liang said.  "From this perspective, (the reason is) some elderly won't go to hospitals even if they have been diagnosed."

However, Liang also suggested other possible reasons for Italy's high mortality, including too many patients and too much stress. 

When asked how he would judge the rapid growth in the number of confirmed cases in Italy, Liang said Italy has banned any movement inside the country, and the number of confirmed cases slowed on Sunday.

He said, normally, the measures for disease control take two weeks to see an effect, so the situation should improve over the next two weeks. 

Responding to unverified reports that said Italian doctors are going to collapse because of the outbreak, Liang said the rumors are not true.

"All the doctors and nurses I met are in good spirits. They're professional," he said. 

Acknowledging that Lombardy didn't pay enough attention at first, Liang said the authorities are now taking it seriously, and things are getting much better. 

Meanwhile, a Chinese medical team has arrived in Serbia to help fight COVID-19.

Peng Zhiqiang, the head of the Chinese medical expert team to Serbia, told CCTV that the authorities were taking the outbreak seriously.

"There are 222 confirmed cases in Serbia, and the local authorities are paying close attention to the outbreak," Peng said.

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