An Italian male nurse has allegedly strangled his doctor girlfriend to death because he believed she had infected him with the coronavirus.

The young couple were living together in an apartment in the commune of Furci Siculo, in the city of Messina, in the southern Italian region of Sicily.

According to national newspaper Nuovo Sud, the suspect, 29-year-old Antonio De Pace will now face charges for the premeditated murder of his girlfriend, 27-year-old Lorena Quaranta.

Lorena was allegedly strangled to death in the apartment where the young couple lived together on March 31.

Italian doctor Lorena Quaranta and her boyfriend Antonio De Pace, who allegedly strangled her to death.

De Pace is a male nurse and Lorena was a junior doctor, and both were working at a local hospital in Messina treating COVID-19 patients.

According to local newspaper Gazzetta Jonica, De Pace told police that he did it because she gave him coronavirus.

Lorena had only recently posted a message about 41 Italian doctors dying during the pandemic.

Linking to a news report on the deaths that have hit Italy due to a lack of personal protective equipment, she criticised the situation and wrote: "Now more than ever we need to demonstrate responsibility and love for life. You must show respect for yourselves, your families and the country.”

"You must think and remember those that dedicate their lives daily to looking after our sick.

"Let's stick together everyone staying at home. Let's avoid the next one falling sick is a loved one or ourselves."

Italian doctor Lorena Quaranta did not have the coronavirus.

Salvatore Cuzzocrea, the dean of Messina University where Lorena had studied before working as a junior doctor, told Giornale di Sicilia that she would be awarded her medical degree posthumously as a tribute.

The 27-year-old was originally from Favara in Sicily but the couple had lived together for the last few months in Messina where she died.

After a violent quarrel, De Pace allegedly hit Lorena in the forehead with an object, knocking her out. De Pace then allegedly climbed on top of her, immobilised her and then suffocated her.