Italy's 1st COVID-19 patient takes part in race in memory of victims

Rome, Sep 28: The first person to be diagnosed with COVID-19 in Italy, Mattia Maestri, is taking part in a 180-kilometre relay race in memory of coronavirus victims.

The race began on Saturday in Codogno, where Maestri tested positive for COVID-19 on February 21, and it will end on Sunday in Vo'Euganeo, where Italy's first official COVID-19 death was recorded the same day.

Mattia Maestri was suited up Saturday for the start of the two-day race between Italy's first two virus hotspots.

Wearing a black mask, Maestri said the race was a beautiful initiative uniting the two hard-hit cities, and that he was thrilled to be even alive to participate.

I feel very lucky, he said at the starting line.

Italy was the first European nation to be affected by COVID-19 and caught unprepared with 310K confirmed total cases and 35,835 deaths till date.

On February 21, 2020, Mattia Maestri, 38-year-old man, was the first Italian patient with COVID-19 was diagnosed was hospitalized at Codogno Hospital in northern Italy.