Italian nurses have shared photos showing themselves bruised and exhausted in the fight against coronavirus, as some revealed their faces have been rubbed raw by masks. 

Italy is one of the countries hit worst by the virus, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases and 631 deaths.  

With a huge increase in patients, doctors and nurses are working around the clock to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak, which has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. 

One nurse, Alessia Bonari in Milan, shared a picture on Instagram showing the bruises her protective mask had left on her face.

She said in Italian that when she is in her protective clothing, she can’t go to the toilet or drink for six hours.

Ms Bonari wrote: “I’m afraid to go to work.

 “I am afraid because the mask may not adhere well to my face, or I may have accidentally touched myself with dirty gloves, or maybe the lenses do not completely cover my eyes and something may have passed.”

But Ms Bonari said that she remains committed to her job, despite her fears. 

She continued: “I am psychologically tired, as are all my colleagues who have been in the same condition for weeks, but this will not prevent us from doing our job as we have always done.

“I will continue to take care of and take care of my patients, because I am proud and in love with my job.”

Another nurse, Martina Benedetti, described the “constant anxiety” that comes with caring for people with coronavirus. 

She said in a Facebook post by Italian site Nurse Times: “This anxiety is the background to every manoeuvre, every thought, every action you have to perform, you have to constantly repeat that you can no longer touch your head if the elastic band for your hair hurts, if your nose itches you bear it.”

The Italian Government has now quarantined the entire country and asked people to stay indoors as much as possible, in a bid to control the spread of the virus.

British Airways and Ryanair have cancelled flights to and from Italy and the Foreign Office has told British people to leave the country.

The British Government has said that the coronavirus is likely to spread in the UK “in a significant way”. 

One in 20 people who catch the virus are likely to need critical care, according to Public Health England.

And there are concerns that the NHS will struggle to meet the health needs of the population. 

England has seven critical care beds per 100,000 people, compared with a Europe-wide average of 11.5, according to a 2012 study. Italy has nearly 12. 

But Ben Littlewood-Hillsdon, chief medical officer at Doctorlink, a company that helps people get information about symptoms online, thinks the UK is well-prepared for an increase in cases. 

Speaking to the Standard, Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon said: “It’s been good to see a measured approach from the Government.”

He added: “The Government wants to keep the critical care beds free as long as possible, so that they can be used for people who really need them.”

Mr Littlewood-Hillsdon said the NHS was good at managing its employees’ mental health and will look after healthcare workers’ mental health by making sure they don’t get too overworked.

He continued: “One thing healthcare understands is preventing strain… It’s about enacting sensible policies that rein staff in”.