Från Italien
STAGE 1: You know that coronavirus exists, and the first cases begin to appear in your country. Well, nothing to worry about, it's just a bad flu! I'm not 75+yo so what could possibly happen to me?
I'm safe, everybody is overreacting, what's the need to go out with masks and stock toilet paper? I'm going to live my life as usual, there's no need to freak out.
STAGE 2. The number of cases begins to be significant.
There are some deaths but they're all old people so the media is just creating panic for views, how shameful. People lead their life as usual.. I'm not going to stop going out and meeting my friends am I? It's not going to get me. Everybody's fine here.
STAGE 3: The number of cases is rapidly going up. They almost doubled in one day. There's more deaths. They declare red zones and quarantine the 4 regions where the majority of cases are registered (March 7). In Italy 25% of the county is under quarantine. Schools and universities are closed in these areas but bars, work places, restaurants and so on are still open.
...so around 10k people from the red zone escape from the area that same night to return to their homes in the rest of Italy (this will be important later). Most of the population of the remaining 75% of Italy still does what it always does. They still don't realize the seriousness of the situation. Everywhere you turn people advise to wash your hands and limit going out, large groups are forbidden, every 5 minutes on TV they remind you of these rules. But it still hasn't settled in people's mind
STAGE 4: The number of cases is heavily increasing. Schools and universities are closed everywhere for at least a month. It's a national health emergency. Hospitals are at capacity, entire units are cleared to make space for coronavirus patients. There aren't enough doctors and nurses. They're calling retired ones and those in their last 2 years of university. There's no shifts any more, just work as much as you can. Of course doctors and nurses are getting infected, spreading it to their families.
There's too many cases of pneumonia, too many people who need ICU and not enough places for everyone. At this point is like being at war: doctors have to choose who to treat based on their survival chance.
That means that the elderly and trauma/stroke patients can't get treated because corona cases have priority. There's not enough resources for everybody so they have to be distributed for best outcome. I wish I was joking but it's literally what has happened
People have died because there wasn't any more space. I have a doctor friend who called me devastated because he had to let 3 people die that day. Nurses crying because they see people dying and can't do anything aside from offering some oxygen. A friend's relative died yesterday of corona because they couldn't treat him. It's chaos, the system is collapsing. Coronavirus and the crisis it's provoking is all you hear about everywhere.
STAGE 5: Remember the 10k idiot who ran from the red zone to the rest of Italy? Well, the entire country has to be declared under quarantine (March 9). The goal is to delay the spreading of the virus as much as possible.
People can go to work, do grocery shopping, go to the pharmacy, and all businesses are still open because otherwise the economy would collapse (it already is), but you can't move from your commune unless you have a valid reason. Now there's fear, you see a lot of people with masks and gloves around but there are still are people who think that they're invincible, who go to restaurants in large groups, hang out with friends to drink and so on.
STAGE 6: 2 days later, it's announced that all (most) businesses are closed: Bars, restaurants, shopping centers, all kinds of shops etc. Everything except supermarkets and pharmacies. You can move around only if you have certification with you.
If you're a known positive patient you risk from 1 to 12 years of jail for homicide.
That's what the situation is like now today as of the March 12th. Keep in mind that it all happened in around 2 weeks... 5 DAYS FROM STAGE 3 TO TODAY.
The rest of the world apart from Italy, China and Korea is just now beginning to reach other stages, so let me tell you this:
You have no idea what's coming to get you. I know because 2 weeks ago I was the one who had no idea and though it wasn't bad.
It's hard to see all these countries act like it's not coming and not taking the precautions that are necessary for the well-being of its citizens while they still can. Please if you're reading this try to act in your best interest.
If there are cases where you live, then the virus is spreading, and you're maybe 1-2 weeks behind us. But you'll get to our point eventually.
PLEASE take any precaution you can take. Don't act like it's not going to get you. If you can,
STAY HOME.
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