Mortality graph and Italy map (IMAGE) Penn State Caption A new study explores why the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic was so much more intense in some regions of Italy than others. The graph depicts mortality in each of 20 Italian regions over time, aligned to account for outbreaks beginning on different dates. Credit Penn State Usage Restrictions Credit must be given to the creator. License CC BY Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.