Coronovirus message from Italy

Thank you for sharing @gardenflowergirl. It's important to know the experiences of other countries. I'm sure we are just a few weeks behind them.

I am in Italy and unfortunately this message doesn't sound like hyperbole to me at all. My parents are elderly and in the UK and I am urging them to stay in and not socialise at all.

www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/health/99412/coronavirus-we-must-choose-who-to-treat-says-italian-doctor-covid-19-christian-salaroli/

I can see why the FB posts might leave people sceptical, but Italian doctors are also speaking to other sources.

I don't doubt we're a few weeks behind and there is stuff they're covering from us but young people think they don't get sick .. I speak as a 'young' person and we're worried about it too!
So quick to bash the younger gen.

This is not fake. I have seen several sources saying similar things.

The uk are also in denial and would refuse to believe it can happen to them.

I'd be interested to know what those constantly talking about panic (or everything being over the top) think is the 'panic'.

Is the attempts to contain the virus 'panic'? Is preparing for beining isolated 'panic'?

Are they people who are in fact paranoid and in denial to quash their own internal panic?

What's wrong with preventing a new disease spreading?

Why does everyone think they know better than PHE and the other advisors? The government are a bunch of tossers, obviously, but they’re acting on the advice of independent experts.

There IS a trade off between the social and economic cost of shutting everything down and preventing the spread of Coronavirus, whether you like or or not, and people far more qualified than me are making those calls.

I've seen a very similar message from an actual Facebook friend who is definitely Italian and definitely genuine, and not scaremongering.

opendatadpc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/dae18c330e8e4093bb090ab0aa2b4892

Here are the official real time maps, graphics, etc from the Italian Protezione Civile. 500 fewer cases diagnosed yesterday, than the day before.

Those of us in Italy, like me, Sgt and Seventy, are having a bit of a rubbish time right now, and yes, acute care hospitals are busy (no shit Sherlock) The official Italian press conference yesterday said that none were at a critical stage in that they couldn't cope.

In fairness, I think 30 patients in ICU at the Niguarda (and other hospitals) is probably an underestimate!

There is a doctor's Facebook post doing the rounds which is very similar to the one in the OP. It's been picked up by the English speaking press who have turned it into some kind of post apocalyptic bodies in the streets scenario. When you read the original Italian, he says nothing concrete beyond "it's shit here, and hospitals are very busy, other countries need to take note and act because it might get like that where you are." What the press aren't saying is he isn't a critical care doctor so his first hand experience is likely to be second hand...

It's scary but if it's true it needs to be said.

I'm sick of people downplaying this virus. Last night I saw someone on Facebook claiming the mortality rate for CV was much lower than for cancer, heart disease and suicide. From that he calculated you're more likely to win big on the lottery than die of CV. But what he was doing was comparing numbers of lethal CV in Wuhan to numbers of deaths from other causes across the whole of China or even the world. What he was saying was self-comforting rubbish. I'm all for preventing panic but if we're not realistic we can't stop this virus.

I've heard there are 3 people tested positive for swine flu in the UK. Not sure how accurate that rumour is.

Is the government really following the advice of independent advisors? All the independent advice I’ve seen has advised more robust measures.

I am not sure why you think it is business as usual in the UK.
People have been panic buying (apparently toilet rolls and pasta).
Some commuters are still commuting to London, but even 10 days ago, I saw people wearing masks, and more are now doing so.
Both my adult DS have had a work 'tryout' of everyone working from home.
Those I know are keeping a distance between people and washing their hands frequently.
Some schools have shut temporarily, if someone has tested positive.
Some have been put in quarantine and some gave been self isolating.
Maybe, there is more to do, and there is an argument that the GOV advice is inadequate, but it is not true that it is business as usual.

at least it’s not ebola

Ah, nothing like a good bit of minimising reminds me of when my first baby died and my mother said ‘worse things happen at sea’

Majority of people seem to have those head in the sand about Coronavirus. You simply don’t want to believe it could affect so many and especially not just the over 60s
I saw on a local fb page the only comment in response to a post about a death ‘in his 80s? A good life’ or something similar like that dismissing it just due to age like we have a disposable generation and as long as it’s not our generation it’s ok??

PHE are a sham. We have a local school with a confirmed case in a pupil.
Not checking and isolating contacts they are allowed to still attend , no need to clean t eh school apparently and not closing
Another school in the area has a case in a parent they were open but parents voted with their feet they are closing to clean therr is no consistent advice being given or followed by PHE it’s a case by case up to the school it seems and it’s ridiculous this isn’t ‘containment’ it’s disorganisation and naivety

Of course, Italians mostly live in flats. That will have hastened the spread - shared door handle/lift controls etc

In addition to the other cultural differences eg more embracing etc

Not sure this really helps us tho as once it gets a hold it’ll spread thru airborne contamination anyway

I think the govt doing the best thing to manage the economy through this, and not the nation's (or rather, individuals) health. I think the govt are planning for most of us to get it.

Yes and because of Brexit the economy will take priority over peoples lives

I’m not trying to minimise the seriousness of the Coronavirus but there are a lot of threads being started by new posters. Spreading scare stories, actually starting scare stories is a well known tactic for trolls. A message from an Italian on Facebook is not a credible source.

I’m sick of the downplaying too. Along with people who scaremonger anyone showing concern and suggest “Rioting and looting in the streets” is the alternative to being concerned.

The figures are published and online. Look at Italy’s stats. Look at the number of cases last week of February (2 weeks ago). That is exactly the number of cases we have in the U.K. now. Our government is doing same thing as Italy. Until days ago, there’s only been 1500 tests a day available.

The air isn’t vastly different here. There’s absolutely no reason why the same pattern won’t be repeated here. That’s what everyone means by “we’re 2 weeks behind Italy”

People claiming the economy will take precedence over people’s lives. I’d say that’s a generous interpretation. Unless of course by “economy” you mean exclusively the interests of corporations and the London financial elite. “Boris” Johnson and his privileged ilk have little regard for the lives of the people they spent their formative years referring to as “plebs” and “grockles”.

Quite.
I'm fighting a bit of a losing battle on many "Italy Italy! Unclean Unclean" threads where posters seem to be lasciviously knitting at the guillotine whilst keeping half an eye on the latest tweet from someone who knows someone who once ate a pizza and likes Andrea Bocelli so is suddenly an expert.

Thankfully, the police are starting to take all the sharing of fake posts/audios/WhatsApp messages seriously. (Yesterday's big round robin where I am was that helicopters were going to disinfect the streets during the night, also picked up by the MN twatterati. There really are one or two posters who seem to sit online 24/7 looking for the next salacious and generally untrue figure or fact coming out of here.

Can't cure stupid I guess. And some of the sharing of fake news is understandable when even the BBC etc are doing it. But the one or two posters rubbing their hands and never ever responding when those of us in Italy, living the situation say" er, that's not true" make me sick.

@Lordamighty obviously.

You might just do yourselfs a favour and read these two articles espically the first one. Very uncomfortable reading:(

abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/patient-icu-virus-pushes-italy-brink-69498352

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-italy-doctors-intensive-care-deaths-a9384356.html

@BookMeOnTheSudExpress
The problem is the British government is not communicating frankly and with detail with the population. It’s all very well saying “we’re monitoring things” and “let’s sit tight and what and see” when your children attend a small private school that gets disinfected each evening and your salary means that you private healthcare options available to you if required. And important government members and their families can always get a chartered flight out of the country entirely if the shit really starts hitting the fan. Some proper information would be nice regarding what is expected and when, what they plan about doing about it and for how long.

Yes, I do see that.
Though I think Boris might get his finger out now he may well have been infected by Nadine Dorries.