“At a time when no one could really understand that deadly virus, the Italian people were forced to face an unknown and lethal enemy – which was a truly Herculean task”, said MEP Kathleen Van Brempt, the head of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic (COVI), in the context of the visit of the COVI delegation to Padua, Bergamo and Milan which ended today. The purpose of the visit was to assess the challenges faced in the early stages of the pandemic and the responses given, with a view to drafting a report that will better prepare the EU for future public health threats. Thanks to the Italian experience, “many other countries have been able to prepare their response to this huge health crisis”, Van Brempt said. The delegation could better appreciate “the innovative scientific work” carried out by the Virology and Microbiology Department of Giustinianeo Hospital, which collected and analysed data from the population of Vo’ Euganeo, helping “scientists worldwide” to gain more information about the virus. The delegation also met the mayors of Padua, Bergamo and Milan and the President of the Lombardy Region. “We were extremely impressed by the stories and testimonies of the many brave health workers and volunteers from local hospitals, nursing homes, and NGOs”, Van Brempt added. Italy’s experience teaches many lessons that will serve “as guidelines for working towards a more resilient Europe in future crises”.