Why Italy?

[R2221]

I mean, why is Italy so badly affected? Is it because CV just started there in Europe or is it just a matter of time before every other country goes through the same cycle??

I’ve read the death toll is worse there because they have a high number of elderly people.

Matter of time.

Matter of time paired with the questionable privilege of being the first in Europe to really be hit.

It'll dramatically peak everywhere else, too, though hopefully we'll be seeing the effects of other countries having their measures in place well before things got to the stage they reached in Italy when they finally shut down everything.

I think it said on the special on C4 that we are9 days behind? I could have that figure wrong though.

No matter how many days we are behind, it will happen here.

They kiss a lot, I'm in france and we kiss to greet each other but only women/women and women/men. In Italy it's men/men too isn't it?

Is it just in the UK then? What about USA? Other EU countries? Will everyone go through it? Not that I want everyone to go through it - I won’t wish this on my worst enemy!!
I think I’m trying to understand if Italy just got unlucky.

I just want to cry.

I think it’s a variety of factors -

They have a big ski season so lots of travellers back at half term

They have a lot of smokers

They use thier hands lots - making pasta
And pizza etc

They are very tactile - lots of hugging and kissing

Extended families spend a lot more time together daily if not living with each other so spread much more easily to the older generation (rather than other countries where elders are in their own homes and visited once a week or so or are in care homes)

I think it was spreading widely in Italy before anyone realised.

I will readily admit I’m no expert but I think, having visited Italy lots, that it’s a combination of things - age of population, smoking is more prevalent meaning lots of lung related conditions which is awful for corona, being honest lots of the more populated areas are dirtier - you only have to look at the videos of the very densely populated flats / apartments on you tube to see this and how close people are to each other, and socially they all like to touch and kiss each other - it’s part of their culture.

Also, they have been testing far more than any other European country. So their figures are also higher because of that.

In the speech the other day Boris and the two experts said we are about 4 weeks behind Italy.

LaChatte - to be fair, in the south of France men kiss each other too. DH is from the south. I think it’s a Mediterranean thing. That said, the majority of French cases aren’t in the south, so I doubt it’s the extra kissing that’s making the difference.

They use thier hands lots - making pasta
And pizza etc

As opposed to other people who rarely use their hands at all.

Also 10,000 people left the lockdown zone to travel to other homes. We have Italian friends and they all have shared family holiday homes.
I also read that it got into many old people’s homes and the north is popular to retire to.

When they shut the schools down all the grandparents were roped in for childcare.

Ha ha yes Seventy, all that pizza and and pizza making, that must be it. Christ almighty.

They use thier hands lots - making pasta
And pizza etc

This has really made me laugh! Thank you

Big Chinese community in the north I think as well

They use thier hands lots - making pasta.And pizza etc

Where as the rest of us use our feet to cook. 😂😂😂

My theory was tourists flocking to Italy with the infection (Italy is very popular with Chinese tourists) - who knows, maybe they went to see the Popes sermon along with all the bus loads of pilgrim groups? Italians go home, living in small villages or quaint mediaeval cities where people are cheek by jowl, churches are still well attended, people are very sociable...

They use thier hands lots - making pasta.And pizza etc

I'm lying in bed and this one made me laugh so much the bed shook and DH is now awake looking at me as if I am crazy

A friend of mine who spent 20+ years living in Italy said that Italians are hypercondriacts, they take their temperature 3 or 4 times a day anyway. So they have been testing many more people and that's perhaps why their cases are higher. Friends of hers - who are still living there believe also it may also be due to their use of cash over plastic...apparently the Italians don't use plastic to pay / buy things. They do have a lot of older people and in some areas the younger generations still live with their parents/ grandparents so perhaps some of the younger ones are 'carriers', or only have it in the mild form but it's the elderly that show more severe symptoms and the ones who die from the virus.
Disclaimer: this is only what I have been told from people with connections to Italy, I have no idea whether their thoughts are fact.

Older people I particular there may attend mass every day. Shared drinking of the wine etc

I think I read somewhere (!) that Italy couldn’t find its patient zero, so initial containment completely failed.
Probably saw it on BBC news website.

A friend told me that many of the big Chinese immigrant community in the North of Italy travelled back to China for Chinese New Year .. hence the spread

Large elderly population who are less isolated than in other countries.
Daily large gatherings in many places for Mass
A culture of physical affection and kissing as a norm.
A culture of food sharing.
Crowds in popular tourist areas.