Roberto Stella | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1952-07-22)July 22, 1952 Busto Arsizio, Lombardy, Italy |
| Died | March 11, 2020(2020-03-11) (aged 67) Como, Lombardy, Italy |
| Cause of death | COVID-19 |
| Education | University of Milan (MD) |
| Occupation | General practitioner |
Roberto Stella (22 July 1952 – 11 March 2020) was an Italian physician who worked as ageneral practitioner inBusto Arsizio. He held numerous positions in national medical associations, including serving as president of the Italian Scientific Society for Continuing Medical Education of General Practitioners and theNational Interdisciplinary Medical Society of Primary Care [Wikidata].
Roberto Stella was born inBusto Arsizio on 22 July 1952.[1] Stella earned a doctor of medicine and surgery fromUniversity of Milan in 1978. He served in theAlpini and was a volunteer Alpino medic during the1980 Irpinia earthquake.[2] Stella specialized in general hematology inPavia in 1984.[3]
Stella ran a medical clinic in Busto Arsizio.[4] In 2017, Stella was elected to a fourth three-year term as president of the Medical Guild of Varese.[5] Stella is recognized as having trained "a generation of family practitioners inLombardy."[2]
Stella was active in national medical associations. He held elected positions in theNational Federation of the Orders of Doctors and Dental Surgeons [it] for almost 30 years, most recently as the national training manager.[6][1] He served as president of the Italian Scientific Society for Continuing Medical Education of General Practitioners.[1]
He was president of theNational Interdisciplinary Medical Society of Primary Care [Wikidata] (SNaMID).[6]
Stella's last peer-reviewed publication was published posthumously on March 16, 2020. It detailed ane-learning course he prepared aboutCOVID-19 open to all Italian physicians.[1] Over 35,000 participants signed up for the course.[2]
Stella resided in Busto Arsizio. He was married to Daniela.[1] He had two sons, one of whom is a medical student set to graduate in 2020.[3]
In 2020, Stella and another physician at his medical practice tested positive forCOVID-19. News of their diagnosis sparked panic in the community, prompting mayorEmanuele Antonelli [it] to issue a statement.[7] Stella died inComo on 11 March 2020, after being hospitalized forrespiratory failure due to COVID-19.[8][9] He had been treating patients with the virus contracting it himself.[10] Stella is the first known Italian physician to die from the virus. Health MinisterRoberto Speranza remarked that the Italian health system lost a "point of reference."[1] Stella's eulogy was broadcast on national television during the nightly pandemic updates from theProtezione Civile.[2]