Covid 19, tips from Italy. What we could have done better
2020 04 04
When Covid 19 epidemy started in Italy over one month ago, we underrated it. Now that we are in a mess, we believed that other countries, more organized and with a more pragmatic culture, could face the problem in a better way. But watching and reading the news coming from the rest of the world, it seems that people just behave the same everywhere.
Our life from 30 days ago feels like it is remote history, yet it is difficult to put things in a perspective. Take it as I am talking from the future: in the next days you will probably pass through the following different phases.
- Covid 19, AKA “coronavirus” is just a flu. Media are getting paranoid. Common flu kills a lot of people every year and nobody cares.
Good that you noticed that flu is not just a setback. Since now, if you have a flu or even a simple cold, try not to pass it over: some people could die by it.
If you are in this phase howewer, forgive yourself for the future: also a famous virologist in Italy wrote exactly the same on her FB wall. It was 25 days ago, in the remote past. Now she canceled everything.
Since we have Covid 19 in Italy, hospitals are over their limits and this is the real big problem. We builded new hospitals in few days, like China, but still north Italy faces a terrible situation. Most of all, there is no medical service since more than one month, unless for emergencies. No way to be visited by a physician, a dentist, a phisiotherapist etc…
This never happened with a normal flu. It is not only about how many people are dying becuase of Covid 19: there is people in Italy diying because we don’t have an health system working as before.
2. Only old and sick people die.
In one month, in Italy, more than 60 medical doctors have died. It never happened before with any infectuous disease. As the days pass, more and more young people need intensive care. We wandered if the virus mutated for worse. It seems it did’nt, so far. But scientist say it could. Off course it could change in a more gentle one. So, it’s a gamble.
3. Soon it will be over.
No. It is like a slow tsunami. Some areas start before than others, so when you think it is over in one place, another is getting worse, in a never ending up and down.
4. Italy is Third World: they are all spaghetti and mandolino, are not efficient and their health care is crap: this is why they have more than 10% of lethality. Also, they have a lot of senior citizens.
This is what I would think if I was you. We are messy and silly. But if you think about the previous sentence, there is something wrong: where there is bad health care, there are not so many senior citizens. Actually, north Italy, where the virus is killing so much, has one of the best health care systems in Europe. Italian health care system in general is pretty good. This is how we keep 90 years old people alive: free doctors, free medicines, plenty of screenings (even too much), mild weather and healthy food. They do a good life and the most difficult part is to keep them at home in this moment. They really trust the system and think to be invulnerable.
5. All supermakets stormed! Silly people!
Actually, if you have the chance to buy food for the next 15 day, do it and go to the supermarket only if you are desperate. The last serious researches report that Covid 19 stays on surfaces for hours. Supermarkets, where people touch everything and cough everywhere, are not safe places. Better to walk around in the woods. About shortage of masks, hand disinfectant, gloves: it goes with the news or the new rules. It is about to wait until the most hysterical are calmed down and stop to buy tons of stuff.
6. I will buy things on the Web.
With Covid 19, no couriers any more. Even Amazon stopped most of the delivery in Italy.
7. The masks does’nt protect. Wash your hands often.
Masks protect others and objects from your saliva. They are not enough to completely prevent the contagion, but are something that helps to slow it down. Leave the fpp3 mask type to the hospitals, if there is a shortage. If the fpp3 mask has a valve, it does not protect others, just you, unless you put a surgical mask on top. Many people here purchased this kind mask as it was “the best”. Now that we have a bit of more knowledge about, those people risk to be mistreated if they enter a shop. Leave the fpp3 mask to doctors. Make your own mask and wash it everyday. But still keep the distance with people. Buy some alimentar alchool (76 degrees, the one used to prepare liqueur) and spray it on your hands and objects if you have no other choice. Follow OMS directions on disinfectants, do not listen to anybody else. Natural products don’t work: viruses are not bacteria and are not germs. Wash your hands and do not touch your face: sometimes wearing a mask helps to remember it. In Italy we have shprtage of masks and the government buys them abroad. Since then many health workers developed some eczema wearing them, something that never happened before.
8. The virus comes from a laboratory. Pets are infectuous. Drink hot tea to prevent infection. Vitamic C. Miracolous drugs. Meditation. Etc.
Fake news mean money for somebody and popularity for somebody else. In this moment is plenty of people who need both. If there is a solution, in not on social media. Always think rational: if hot beverage could help, as in Italy everybody drinks at least one hot coffee a day, we would be all safe.
In this moment, who had a solution, would sell it for bilions and won’t give it for free to you as a tip. Who has a secret doesn’t allow it to be easily discovered and announced on Youtube.
Do not contribute to spread stupidity, not even to have fun of it: there is always one contact of yours who doesn’t understand the joke. In this situation every mistake is payed by everybody and fake news build up stress even if we do not believe them, contributing to anxiety and depression.
The biggest discovery that this virus brought up is that numbers and statistics are not so trustable. At least, who is giving them out is a bit confused. The numbers you have to search for your own peace of mind are the percentage between tampons and positives, and the number of crtically hill people. If these two numbers are lowering, then be happy.
9. Experts are confused and say different things.
True. This gives you the picture of the disaster. Newspapers are also responsible, not only for fake or sensational news, but for asking stupid question to the experts, like “when will it end?” forcing even intelligent people to give silly answers. Europe did not give a direction about how to count and classify cases, and this is also another serious mistake. We were not ready for a virus attack (why? Scientist were expecting it since years) but we thought to be developed at least about simple, common sense. We over extimated ourself.
10. After days of lock down, economy is dying and this will kill more people.
Yes. This is also dangerous for political reason. A weak country is an easy prey. Start working from remote could be a good idea, but if the whole country falls, this won’t be a long term solution anyway. Some countries are thinking of just isolate the senior citizens and keep going. We are waiting to know more about the virus: immunity of healed people? A different weather makes a difference? Virus mutations? Other ways to protect ourselves?
11. I need to go out. I am not scared.
If you only could see how many people in Italy declared something like this on their fb wall and changed their mind in a painful way. Since few days I started to have FB contacts who wrote that they lost a parent. They are not close friends and I don’t know them personally, but still they are not totally strangers to me and I feel the tragedy coming closer. Their parents died alone, no funeral, no flowers: just an army truck. In some cases their husband/wife could not recover any personal belongings, not even the wedding ring. No last phone calls, they did not have the breath to do it. Be a rebel in a more constructive way, if you can.
12. A lot of people is taking vantage from the situation. Criminality is spreading, those who have money can get a better tratment, can buy mask, oxygen, can move etc. Politician can’t handle the situation. That other Country is doing much better then us.
This is the effect of caos. History teaches that the more is caos, the more those who are cruel take vantage as they are difficult to control. To take the right decisions is not easy. Caos makes difficult to understand what is rational and what is not. Misinformation is part of the caos. We could have done one useful thing at the beginning: to put a heavy fine on whoever spreads misinformation. Misinformation is not only dangerous itself, it also makes more difficult to spot the right informations and take the right decisions. Politicians are not immune from misinformation.
13 People are dying alone at home. They don’t send ambulances, don’t do tampons.
This is what’s happening right now in Italy. Caos, lack of organization and so many people asking for hospitalization as an old habit, like once you are in a hospital you are safe and they know what to do. But they don’t. They just watch you dying. There is shortage of oxigen cylinders, as the empty ones in private houses are not sent back. Everyday there is a new emergency about a shortage of something, people dying by other illnesses, empty houses occupied by somebody while the owners are fighting for their life in a hospital.
14. I can’t stand this situation any more. I’d rather prefer to get infected and stop being anxious about everything.
Many people in Italy are reaching this point, after days of lock down and over one month of tv shows on coronavirus and never ending bad news. The reality is that whatever you are choosing, you are not choosing it just for yourself. But if we are lucky, scientist will learn something meanwhile. To get sick in two months instead than now, could be different: maybe they won’t have a vaccine but they could have learned how to treat this illness better and avoid hospitalization to the majority. Be patient, learn form others, be creative, help nature, listen to music. Don’t be shy: join internet meetings, speak with friends. Not only about coronavirus, but about the past and the future.
Good people around have a hope: a better world could come out of this tragedy, one day, when the emergency will be over. I am not so positive: by that time billions of people will have reached their limits, fisically, economically, emotionally. The better world won’t happen by itself. The time to start building it is right now, not tomorrow.
Some scientific reserches on Covid 19
