Abstract
Italy was the first Western nation to be affected by the pandemic, becoming a pioneer in the fight against the new corona epidemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 disease presented the country with major challenges, which were not always well managed. On September 15, 2020, there were a total of 288,723 cases in Italy, with 35,641 COVID-19 related deaths nationwide. The present paper asks whether there is anything to be learned from the Italian experience and the different ways in which the pandemic is being managed in many countries.