Hello all, I hope everyone has remained safe and healthy over spring break and are enjoying this post from the warmth of your home. The world has descended into utter chaos over the past couple of weeks with the rapid spread of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus. I personally did not expect the virus to have as much of an impact as it has had when reports of its existence in January came out. I am sure all of us have felt the ramifications of state lockdowns and closed universities,stores, and restaurants. In today’s blog I plan to go over what has happened in Italy specifically regarding the coronavirus outbreak.
Source: Forbes
If you have been paying attention to the news in quarantine, which is nearly impossible to miss given its prevalence on social media, you would know that Italy has struggled immensely to fight off the virus. Al Jazeera reports, that as of today, “Italy has reported 602 new deaths from the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total to 6,077 with the tally of cases in the country… rising to 63,928.” Thankfully, the number of deaths reported per day has been decreasing. So what happened in Italy that allowed the outbreak to get as bad as it did? What does this mean for other countries like the United States and the United Kingdom who are starting to see a surge in cases similar to that of Italy?
Source: Al Jazeera
Italy was in a sense unlucky, it was almost blind-sided by the rapid rise of coronavirus cases in the northern region. As a result, there was a delay in closing major public spaces and limiting travel that led to the rapid spread of the disease across the nation. Ultimately, Italy serves as an example to what happens when nations do not act quickly enough to limit the spread of the disease. Unfortunately, the leaders of other nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom are failing to learn from Italy’s mistakes. The graph below, put together by The Guardian, demonstrates just how far behind the United Kingdom is in responding.
At the national level, the United States is also failing to react quickly and appropriately. Thankfully, it would appear that many local and state legislatures are taking the outbreak very seriously and doing everything possible to mitigate its spread. The lock-downs enacted by multiple states has led nearly 1 in 3 Americans to remain home according to a Reuters report. If you are currently in a state that has not locked down please practice social distancing. While coronavirus may not impact your health severely as a young person, it has devastating affects on older generations and those who are immunocompromised. If you are bored considering playing Monopoly, I guarantee that it will take till the end of quarantine and you still will not be done. Stay indoors and stay safe.
The rate that this virus has spread was indeed alarming. I remember at the beginning of February, it was taken as a joke and then a little over than a month later states started issuing quarantines and closing down jobs and universities and other institutions. You provide a very good point about England as well in how they are not taking it seriously. I have heard that life is basically continuing as normal there, and that there is even traffic still which I find absolutely bizarre.
This whole situation is daunting. I remember when we were at school, and I had just learned what COVID-19 was in early January. I never thought it would reach the United States or turn into the vast pandemic that it has become. And yes we are social distancing in my household! I just ordered online groceries for the first time, and I’m picking them up on Saturday at our local grocery store. We’ll see how it goes!
Lui, this is such a great post! I know I didn’t expect the coronavirus to have taken over the world as much as it did. I am worried that the federal government is not acting quick enough and now being back in the state that is the hardest hit, I am worried for the health of my family. I hope that we do not repeat the same mistakes as Italy and that state governments continue to work along with the federal government.
This is a great post! It is very scary that the coronavirus has had such a big impact on all of us at this point. While I reply to this post I believe the United States has passed Italy and China for the most cases world wide. Obviously, the United States is a larger country than Italy but it is much smaller than China. I wonder if the United State has been too late, like you said, and if we are still weeks away from the peak. Be safe!
Haha don’t even talk about M*n*p*ly!! I haven’t gotten to that point of desperation -yet-. I think the biggest mistake that the US has made is the lack of capacity for testing. While we can tell everyone to social distance and shelter in place, actually ensuring that everyone follows that is practically impossible. That is why we are still seeing rapid spread in spite of this implementation. I wish we could follow countries like vietnam and south korea who tested much more aggressively than we did, allowing them to quarantine even healthy people who test positive and limit spread much more effectively.