Inside the German military's Airbus A310 'flying hospital', which is transporting coronavirus patients from Italy to Germany

Brittany Chang

Apr 2, 2020, 01:37 IST

Inside the German military's Airbus A310 'flying hospital', which is transporting coronavirus patients from Italy to Germany

Airbus A 310 Medivac coronavirus transport 5

On March 28, a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Airbus A310 "Medevac" transported six COVID-19 patients from Bergamo, Italy to the Cologne Bonn Airport to receive treatment in Germany.
About 50 COVID-19 patients from Italy are now being treated in Germany as of March 26, The Hill reported.
The Airbus A-310 "Medevac" that carried the six coronavirus passengers has six intensive care beds and enough room to transport 38 patients "lying down," according to the Luftwaffe.
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A German Air Force Airbus A-310 "Medevac" transported six COVID-19 patients from Bergamo, Italy to the Cologne Bonn Airport to receive coronavirus treatment in Germany on March 28.

After arriving in Germany, the COVID-19 patients were brought to different hospitals for treatment, according to a tweet by the German Air Force known as the Luftwaffe. Germany has also opened its hospitals to more Italian coronavirus patients: as of March 26, about 50 COVID-19 patients from Italy are being treated in Germany, The Hill reported.

"Any help across borders is now important," Germany's Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer wrote in a tweet. "That is why the Bundeswehr [Federal Defense Force] is helping with our flying intensive care unit of the Air Force to transport seriously ill people from Italy to Germany for treatment. Europe sticks together."

In total, the Airbus A310 "Medevac" that carried the six coronavirus passengers has six intensive care beds and enough room to transport 38 patients "lying down," according to the Luftwaffe.

Keep scrolling to see the Medevac plane:

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Airbus A310 "Medevac" can hold up to 38 patients.

That's not including the six ICU bays for the critically injured.

The Medivac plane has multiple features that can also be found inside a typical hospital, such as ventilators, syringe pumps, and defibrillators, according to the Luftwaffe.

There are also ultrasound systems and patient monitors onboard.

The plane's sibling aircraft serve as passenger or troop transporters that can carry 214 people or refueling aircraft that can carry 72 tons of kerosene.

More flights to transport COVID-19 patients are now being planned.

"Because we stand by our Italian friends. We can only manage this together," Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement.

Germany has a relatively low coronavirus death rate despite its number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

There are 71,690 reported coronavirus cases in Germany as of March 31. However, only 774 people have died as a result, giving the country a death rate of 1.07%.

Italy, however, has seen 105,792 COVID-19 cases and 12,428 deaths as of March 31 This gives the country a much higher coronavirus fatality rate of 11.75%.

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