The Covid-19 emergency has tested not only healthcare systems but also the responsiveness of technology and people. Today, I want to share how my team and I, through our IT skills, contributed to supporting the Italian healthcare system, helping to save lives.

The Beginning of a Global Challenge

It was February 28, 2020. Returning from a vacation day, I received a call from my boss. He looked at me and, with a serious tone, said:

“You’ve surely heard about the Covid-19 situation. We have an important opportunity—we need to do something.”

At that moment, Veneto, one of the hardest-hit regions in Italy, had asked us to develop and implement a biosurveillance platform to monitor and prevent the spread of the virus. The challenge was enormous, but the urgency and importance of the mission were crystal clear.

A Race Against Time

The pandemic was spreading rapidly, and the Veneto region was at the heart of Italy’s emergency. Our mission was clear: create a platform capable of collecting crucial data on infections, outbreaks, tests, and other vital information. There was no time to lose—every day mattered.

We worked tirelessly, day and night, with our team of developers and a group of experts, coordinating with the regional healthcare service leaders. Every new feature had to be deployed into production at an astonishing speed, without compromising quality or security. The sacrifice was great, but the reason behind it justified everything: we knew our work could mean the difference between life and death for many people.

A Tangible Impact

The first days were a whirlwind of technical discussions, quick decisions, and implementations that, though improvised, were crucial to facing the challenge. The fatigue and stress were overwhelming, but seeing the tangible results of our work kept us motivated. The platform not only monitored the situation in real time but also enabled faster and more effective decision-making. In those days, every minute saved was critical.

One moment I will never forget happened one night in March—it was around 11 PM, and exhaustion was starting to take its toll. My eyes struggled to stay focused on the numbers and code, and the figures on the screen never seemed to match up. At that moment, we were dealing with an off-by-one error: an elderly woman from Rovigo mysteriously disappeared from the records during a processing phase.

I won’t go into the technical details of the bug we discovered, but what made this moment truly unforgettable was what we found out shortly after: that woman had actually passed away just hours earlier. Her death had somehow affected the calculations in the system in the following hours.

It felt like a punch to the stomach. I won’t hide the fact that some of us had to turn off our webcams, unable to hold back tears. It was an incredibly tough moment, but also an enlightening one. It made us deeply understand how crucial our work was and its real-life impact. That small error, in such a delicate context, made us realize firsthand how every single piece of data could make a difference.

Our dedication and teamwork kept the systems running and up to date despite mounting pressure. We worked nonstop, often sleeping only a few hours a night, but our goal was clear: to use our IT skills to save lives. In times of crisis, every little action counts, and we knew that our contribution would have a meaningful impact.

Expanding Our Efforts

In April, when the healthcare crisis worsened in Lombardy, one of the most affected regions, we were given a new opportunity. Milan and the entire Lombardy region asked us to implement the same biosurveillance platform we had developed for Veneto. Our enthusiasm and determination never wavered—we continued maintaining and evolving the platform, happy to contribute to protecting public health.

Proud of What We Accomplished

Today, months later, I look back with pride on what we achieved. I am proud of my team, of the professionalism we demonstrated, and of the fact that, even in the heart of a global pandemic, we managed to put our skills at the service of the community.

We are proud to have played our part, and we will continue working to improve the platform, hoping that this global crisis will soon come to an end. The fight against Covid-19 is not over, but our determination and commitment will never wane.

Stay safe, and never forget that even the smallest gesture can make a difference.