Personal experience: how to live in a country with a coronavirus epidemic
A Life / / January 06, 2021
Tonya Rubtsova
The author of Lifehacker. Lives in the north of Milan.
While I am writing this material, more than 20 thousand people in Italy are sick with coronavirus. I deliberately do not use the words "infected" or "infected": they create the feeling of a plague epidemic. And now I want to whip up the atmosphere the least: there are enough empty streets, people shunned by each other, the growing number of patients and the constant sound of ambulance sirens from the street.
I live in a town in the north of Milan, in the Lombardy region. He was hardest hit by the virus. At the beginning of the quarantine, the Italians joked: “Our grandparents were told to go to war, we were told to sit at home on the couch. Maybe we can handle it! " But time passes, and there are fewer reasons for laughter.
I decided to share what is happening in Italy so that our readers in Russia are not afraid of quarantine - life does not end there. But at the same time, we understood why it is so important to do everything in our power to stop the spread of the virus.
How it all began and what does it have to do with the non-corrugated "feathers"
That coronavirus got to Italy, they started talking on February 21. On that day, I flew to Palermo for the weekend, and at some point at the airport, urgent news was broadcast on all screens: in the south of Milan, several people were diagnosed with COVID-19. It didn't scare me much: okay, the Chinese virus from Wuhan, only a few people got sick, it is unlikely that he will stay here for a long time.
But in the couple of days when I ate pistachio ice cream in Sicily, a dozen cases turned into a hundred. The first thing I saw on my return to Milan was a banner warning of the outbreak of coronavirus and people in protective suits measuring the temperature of those arriving at the airport.
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The cities where the sick people lived were quarantined. This also did not seem to be anything frightening. "Quarantine" is a familiar word for a Russian; they were used a hundred times in my school.
Quarantine is not necessarily a sign of something terrible. It is introduced to prevent the collapse of the sanitary system, which will happen if many people get sick at the same time.
But the Italians were greatly agitated: such measures had not been taken here before. It was then that the first wave of raids on supermarkets for pasta and disinfectants. There were jokes that even the end of the world would not make Italians eat penne lisce - the only type of pasta that remained intact.
Continuo a guardare questa foto fatta prima al supermercato e penso al fatto che il grande sconfitto da questo virus sono le penne lisce che agli italiani fanno cagare pure quando sono presi dal panico e si preparano all'apocalisse. pic.twitter.com/Lq9Y06jdho
- 𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊 🤦♂️ (@diodeglizilla) February 23, 2020
The more people with COVID-19 were found, the more our lives changed. Museums, galleries, schools, universities, sports associations were closed. Mass events were canceled. At this stage, what was most troubling was the impossibility of planning something. For example, my tennis club sent a message about new safety rules on the court: go in one at a time, wash your hands thoroughly before and after training, and do not touch the balls (only the teacher gives them). But an hour before class, a new regulation was issued, and all courts stopped working.
How the "red zone" in Lombardy became a quarantine throughout Italy
By March 5, the number of cases reachedCovid-19: i casi in Italia alle ore 18 del 5 marzo 3296, and then it seemed to us that this is incredibly high. Some people have already switched to remote work, but it was still possible to go to shops and cafes, to move freely. I always work from home, so little has changed for me. Only there was a feeling of anxiety with which I wake up and fall asleep for a week. On March 8, we were visiting friends when a new decree was issued: the whole of Lombardy and several other regions in northern Italy were declared a "red zone".
This meant that it was impossible to leave the region without good reason, and schools, universities, sports and entertainment centers remained closed until April 3. The situation was complicated by one circumstance: a draft of this decree appeared in the press on the evening of March 7. Many people from the southern regions who now live and work in Lombardy have decided that they need to have time to return to their families in the south, so as not to remain isolated. And immediately rushed to the trains and buses.
They moved from the region where COVID-19 was raging, to parts of the country where the virus had not yet been found.
Many people did not yet take the epidemic seriously at that time. I have heard a bunch of ridiculous versions: Trump invented the coronavirus to hit China; it was done by banks in order to bring down funds; it is the eco-activists who want to stop the heavy industry. But there is one problem: the coronavirus is not becoming less dangerous for those who do not believe in it.
You can repeat the mantra "It's just the flu" a hundred times. But it happens that even young people hard to bear COVID-19. It all depends on the individual reaction. You can post on Instagram a “calming” infographic with statistics of deaths from tuberculosis and road accidents and say that the coronavirus is not our biggest problem. But depreciation will not help us avoid it.
I do not know if the "flight" of people from Lombardy contributed to the spread of the disease. But a day later, all of Italy was announcedCoronavirus, l'Italia diventa "zona protetta": spostamenti vietati se non per comprovate necessità. Conte: "Non c'è più tempo" zona protetta - "protected area". This is how the general quarantine began.
What rules need to be followed in quarantine
In Lombardy, all public events have already been banned, cafes and restaurants have been closed, religious services have been canceled (even on the occasion of a funeral). The same measures were extended to other regions as well. To all this, the government addedCovid-19, nuove regole: evitare ogni spostamento nelle zone colpite new rules.
1. Close all shops except supermarkets and pharmacies
There is always a hand sanitizer dispenser at the entrance.
Queues to the store are often seen on the streets. But only because a limited number of people can enter at the same time. Since the Italian prime minister explained that there will be no bans on the movement of goods, Italians have stopped attacking supermarkets.
You can't go shopping with your whole family. One person goes to the store and makes a stock of food for a decent period, so as not to run every day for one hundred grams of prosciutto.
2. Keep one meter distance from people in public
People politely walk around each other, stand one by one at the checkout. Nowadays it is better not to sneeze in public, even if dust just got into the nose. The degree of tension is too great, and everyone present will look at you with reproach.
3. Don't leave home for no reason. And don't go out with cold symptoms at all
Before leaving the house, you need to fill out a special form: who I am, where I am from, where and why I am going or going. I take this with me when I go grocery shopping.
Any idle wandering far from the place of residence is punishableInfografiche emergenza Coronavirus criminal liability. If the person is healthy, the punishment is a fine of 206 euros or three months in prison. If sick - from 1 to 12 years in prison.
You cannot ride a bike. It is traumatic, you can fall, get injured and create unnecessary stress on medical facilities. But running alone is allowed if you have no symptoms of a cold. Sometimes I go out to get some fresh air and look at the blooming magnolias.
Some people panic and try to shame those who go out to run or walk the dog on social media. I understand them: inaction increases feelings of anxiety, and if you blame others, it seems that you are helping. But I think if the police say that running alone and walking the dog is okay, then you shouldn't blame each other for that.
The virus does not fly in the air. It is carried by people, contacting each other and objects around. No contact, no risk.
I miss a life without limits. When you could safely shop, and not catch yourself by the hand, if you itched your nose in the supermarket (you can't touch your face in public places: this is how the virus enters the body). I miss the times when my hands weren't eaten away by antibacterial agents. When we calmly trained and went with friends to a pizzeria. Everyone in Italy now yearns for something of their own.
Bella Shahmirza
Journalist, translator.
I miss my job. The market sank heavily, because of the epidemic, a large project with a TV channel failed. Now I rejoice at every little translation. There is still not enough freedom. I like to know that I can fly to Paris tomorrow morning. And now you won't even be able to leave the house and take your favorite bubble tea, go to Chinatown and eat noodles, go to a museum for a cool exhibition.
Yuri Monzani
Soccer coach.
I miss traveling. For the past 10 years, I have been leaving every month to train children in different countries of the world. This year trips to China, Colombia and Russia have already been disrupted. We have stopped all flights since December last year. And I also cannot fully exercise: cycling and swimming are now prohibited. Considering I'm training for the Iron Man Triathlon, this can be a big challenge.
Mara Arena
Student.
I want to live again without worrying about my dad every minute. At his age, such a virus can be very dangerous, so I don't even let him go to the supermarket for groceries. Most of all, there are not enough meetings with people dear to me: boyfriend, friends, brother and nephews. Opportunities to leave the house at any time and go wherever they look. To be indoors and not think that on any surface there may be a virus.
Federico Ellie
Tax consultant, partner in a financial company.
I still go to the office, and I have several times more work. Now I help companies get help from the state. I let all the employees go: we have a lot of people of age. But I can't completely abandon our clients at such a moment. When I sit alone in a 500 square meter office and hear only the sounds of my keyboard, my heart is very heavy. I miss the usual noise, conversations, laughter of colleagues.
Gabriele Raspelli
Soccer coach.
I really miss my girlfriend and the football team. For many years, Sunday has been the day for me when my team plays. Now all the work is worthwhile, we cannot do anything. I miss my usual routine: office, lunch with a girl, soccer field. I think I've never spent so much time at home in my life.
How to live on and not lose heart
In spite of everything, the quarantine united the Italians. Every day at 12:00, people go out onto the balcony and give a round of applause to all the doctors who work many shifts without interruption. And at 18:00 they turn on the anthem of Italy and sing songs. The DJs I know brought their equipment out onto the balcony and lit the whole area. Their neighbors danced on balconies and broadcast on Instagram. My husband and I also take a guitar and sing a song that he composed specifically for quarantine to the tune of the famous l'Italiano Vero. All this can be found on the hashtag #iorestoacasa, which is currently bombing in Italy - "I stay at home."
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Italy might be under a lockdown to help contain # covid_19, but that hasn’t stopped people from finding creative ways to show solidarity like that of the nightly #flashmobsonoro. At 6pm Italians are invited to pick up whatever instrument they want (or use pots and pans) to be share their community spirit. Here is a wonderful video by @ca_longa ・ ・ ・ Noi stiamo sul ballatoio ♥ ️ Grazie a @damianokazuo per il ritmo, a @raphael_monzini per il video e a tutta la Ca ’Longa. • # codiv_19 #coronavirus #milano #italia #igersmilano #casediringhiera #casediringhieramilanesi #musica #iorestoacasa #flashmobsonoro #musicadaibalconi #vicinidalontano #insiemelofermiamo #uniticelafaremo #fermiamoloinsieme #forzamilano #balconiditalia #forzaitaliani # tuttoandràbene #instaflashmob #calonga #viapierodellafrancesca #sempreviciniconilcuore @beppesala @comune_milano
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Friends from Russia and other countries write to me every day. Some questions really upset me: they show how much unverified information is in the news. Has the Pope recovered from the coronavirus? No, he was not sick with them: my father's test for COVID-19 turned out to be negative. This news is fakePapa francesco non ha il coronavirus. Is it true that in Italian hospitals there are not enough hands and equipment, so only the young are saved, and the old are deliberately left to die? No, it was saidOgnuno faccia la sua parte fin da ora Non possiamo arrivare al punto di scegliere chi ha piu aspettativa di vitathat we must stay at home and not spread the virus to avoid this situation.
Today is March 17, and the fear that doctors will have to choose who to help and who not is still only a concern.
Hospitals are being expanded and equipped. My friend was supposed to have a planned eye surgery, but the ophthalmology clinic rescheduled his appointment because private hospitals have been ordered to keep all surgical wards free in case there are no more hospitals places.
Almost over in MilanCoronavirus, lavori in tempi record per il nuovo reparto del San Raffaele grazie alla campagna di Chiara Ferragni e Fedez construction of a new intensive care unit, for which Italian rapper Fedez and fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni raised 4 million euros. Giorgio Armani donatedGiorgio Armani dona 1.25 milioni di euro agli ospedali per l'emergenza coronavirus 1.25 million euros for hospital needs. I flew from China to Rome on March 13Coronavirus, medici cinesi da Wuhan a Roma: "Separate subito i positivi dagli altri" a delegation of doctors specializing in the treatment of COVID-19.
The government launchedCoronavirus, bozza decreto da oltre 20 mld: 100 euro di premio a chi lavora in sede, misure per famiglie e sanità social assistance program for those who cannot earn this month. Compensation is paid 50% of the salary to parents whose children stayed at home, 500 euros - to private entrepreneurs who could not work, 60% of the rent compensation to companies that were forced to close.
Yesterday, March 16, the trend in the increase in the number of infected people finally startedCovid-19: i casi in Italia alle ore 18 del 16 marzo on the decline: fewer people fell ill than the day before. Half of those who have confirmed COVID-19 can carry the disease at home. 1,851 people need intensive care. These are the first results of the quarantine, and even they are encouraging.
Therefore, we can continue to sit at home, hope that the noise of the sirens outside the window will soon subside, cook, read, broadcast on Instagram and put the second most popular hashtag in Italy - #andratuttobene - “everything will be well".
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