Vanity Fair Italy is set to release a special issue dedicated to honoring Italian healthcare workers who have been tirelessly combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The cover of this upcoming issue features Doctor Caterina Conti, a 39-year-old lung specialist from Bergamo, one of the hardest-hit regions in Italy. Dr. Conti, dressed in a white doctor’s coat with a mask hanging over her right elbow, symbolizes the resilience and dedication of healthcare professionals during these challenging times.
Scheduled for release on March 25, this issue is more than just a tribute; all the revenues generated from its sale will be donated to the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo, which has been at the forefront of Italy’s fight against the coronavirus. Images of makeshift ICU wards and patients in crowded corridors with plastic ventilation covers over their heads within this hospital have captured the world’s attention.
The headline for this special issue reads #Iocisono, meaning #IAmWithYou, and it promises stories that shed light on the efforts of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, surgical staff, volunteers, and various healthcare workers across Italy who are combatting the virus.
Bergamo’s mayor, Giorgio Gori, expressed his gratitude for Vanity Fair’s support, stating, «The pressure on our entire region is unrelenting, and the health service is our front line. Doctors and nurses are doing the impossible. We have to give them all the support we possibly can. We need people and equipment to handle a demand for care which is overwhelming the current capacity, even though this has multiplied since the start of this emergency.»
The issue will include multiple interviews with courageous healthcare professionals from all over Italy, shedding light on their experiences and dedication. It will also feature stories about individuals like Gennaro Arma, the captain of the Diamond cruise ship, and Daniela Trabattoni, a cardiologist, as well as testimonies from prominent figures such as Chiara Gamberale, Cesare Cremonini, and Daria Bignardi.
Simone Marchetti, the editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, expressed his admiration for these healthcare workers, saying, «Don’t call these doctors, nurses, essential workers, and volunteers heroes because they themselves do not wish to be defined as such. They are professionals with an extraordinary sense of duty, workers at the very limits of their strength and possibilities. For us, they have become the reflection of an Italy which is strong and full of hope, a country that has always managed to survive the hardest of times.»
