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Coronavirus Info

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adminee
  2/25/2020 18:25 EST

We wanted to start a thread for expats in Italy to share information and concerns about Coronavirus in Italy. If you would like to post an update and let others know what is happening in your area, we encourage you to do so.

Janeann
  2/25/2020 21:27 EST

Hi, we’re in the US booked to head over to Umbria in early April for 90 days. Yes we’d be interested in a thread with news about the virus in Italy, first hand info please.

MrsVannelli
  2/25/2020 21:32 EST

Headed to Umbria in June. Monitoring the Italian news andFB groups.

mchaves
  2/25/2020 23:05 EST

Corona virus is a flu virus. For your info, ordinary flu kills 2000 people everyday worldwide... so, don't take that into your plans for travel.

Sergios
  2/26/2020 01:28 EST

We are in the Florence area and other than a run on sanitizer and face masks, everything is normal. But there is a bit of panic evident. We are scheduled to leave for the usa in early april. It's starting to look like that may not be happening. The two week gestation of this virus means it's going to be a long period of panic.

Napol01
  2/26/2020 02:49 EST

We live in Lecce and so far I don't think there have been any reports of the virus. Life seems to be going on as usual not stopping the Italians from continuing with their cafe lifestyle. 
However, we did take a regional train to Bari yesterday and every ten minutes or so there was an announcement in Italian & English making people aware of the virus saying that packages and products from China are not dangerous.

Shtinky
  2/26/2020 03:27 EST

I am in Umbria and there have been no cases here...yet. And no one is panicking. We went shopping yesterday and the store was calm and fully stocked. Schools are open and events are going forward. Our town issued an announcement they were setting up a holding area near the emergency room so the emergency room itself doesn’t get contaminated should a case show up. People are advised to call their doctor first before going to the emergency room. This is a precautionary measure. So that’s the report from Umbria for now.

Sergios
  2/26/2020 07:43 EST

The corona virus affects 10 to 20 percent of people who get it by getting into the lungs and causing pneumonia that is potentially deadly for people with compromised immune systems. Since it is a new virus, nobody is immune to it and it is particularly contagious. It has up to a 2 week gestation which means that you could be walking around for several days infecting others without knowing it. The mortality rate is 2% which is higher than the Spanish flu. Therefore telling people to not to worry about traveling is irresponsible at best.

foxwhite1
  2/26/2020 08:21 EST

I wonder who 'sponsored' that message?
"...that packages and products from China are not dangerous"

The Center for Disease Control in the US states:
It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Personally I try to not buy anything from China for a number of reasons, especially a food product, and this is just one more reason to avoid 'made in china' stuff!

foxwhite1
  2/26/2020 08:31 EST

Sergio have you been to Prato, near Florence? The town has a huge Chinese population. I would not be surprised if sooner or later there is an outbreak in that commune.

On a side note: The 'Made in Italy' brand is not what you think it means any longer. Chinese have purchased factories in towns like Prato and now employ their countrymen to make goods and legally label them 'made in Italy' or 'Fatto in Italia'. The problem as told to me by an Italian factory owner is that the quality is no longer what it used to be when made by a skilled Italian artisan. So goes the world....sad to say!

Umbertomar
  2/26/2020 08:35 EST

I am interested in learning what is happening in Rome with arriving flights from the US. I have a flight arriving on March 10 with a connection to an Italian destination with a 2 hr layover, Under normal circumstances, this would be OK-- but if there is health (temperature) screening - could be a problem

Sergios
  2/26/2020 09:17 EST

Viruses do not survive long out of the body, in a dry condition. Therefore products from china, dry goods, do not present a danger of contagion.

As far as Rome, who knows how this epidemic progresses. I have tickets to fly back to the USA in April. I am considering, seriously, leaving sooner. That is if I can sell my car in time. My concern is that trump will shut down air travel from Italy or possibly europe. I hope all of this blows over but given the progression of this epidemic, it appears that it will be with us for quite some time.
Italians love shaking hands and cheek kissing. Don't let them. Hand shaking is the best way to get or give the infection.

HenryGiovanni
  2/26/2020 11:03 EST

Hi All,
I suspect, without evidence other than regular media lying about everything, that the numbers are fudged and the pool of those with this virus is far larger than reported, thus lowering the death rate. I am no expert, but take it much like the annual flu scares.

That said, the real reason to review any travel plans is the possible quarantine at the other end of your trip, and Italy is now on that quarantine radar. At least up north, where we are. Much to my dismay, our daughter will probably have to cancel her planned trip due, not to the virus, but to the quarantine; she cannot afford a possible quarantine that would be longer than her actual vacation.

And, just to make it worse, one should consider coming from the US (or elsewhere) for a long-planned Italian vacation, and then being locked into a quarantine over here, should the authorities randomly choose to use your destination as a focal point of their exercise of power.

By the way, shelves are stocked here in Padova, though traffic seems (to me) to be rather lighter than normal. We have some cases in-and-around town.

Cheers, John.

thefountain
  2/26/2020 12:33 EST

Hi John

Thank you for the update.
May everyone be safe.
Still haven't moved to Italy. Some snags along the way.
I hope all your taxes issues worked out.
Going to see an international tax acct. Can you share any advise you learned along the way as well as a good accountant in Italy.

Praying for Italy.
Warm Regards
Sunshine

thefountain
  2/26/2020 12:37 EST

Sergios

Be careful flying. If you are in the New York city area let me know. Would like to meet you all.
Still planning my move to Italy, came across some snags along the way .

Be safe in the land of La Dolce Vita

Sunshine

HenryGiovanni
  2/26/2020 13:18 EST

Hi thefountain,
See my post from last Aug titled "Moving to Italia Part 2: Life and Taxes" on or about page 9 of the Italy forum for tax info learned through experience.
Cheers, John.

thefountain
  2/26/2020 14:04 EST

John,

Well all Ihave to say is wow.

All of that and you still want to live in Italy!?

If you still love it there than it has alot to say about Italy and the lifestyle.

Thank you so much.

Sunshine.

Janin
  2/26/2020 14:37 EST

"... in the land of La Dolce Vita"
That was then, long gone.
Don't fool yourself.
Ciao
Janin

thefountain
  2/26/2020 15:39 EST

Hi Janin,

Can you say more on what it is no longer La Dolce Vita.

I like to everyone's take.

Thank you.

Sergios
  2/28/2020 06:01 EST

Several times I have encountered people stating that the yearly flu kills thousands every year and the coronavirus has only killed hundreds and it is not so bad. Here are some facts:

The yearly flu has a death rate of 0.1 per hundred. The coronavirus has a death rate of 2 per hundred.

The yearly flu has been around for many years and people develop immunity so not everyone is likely to get it. The coronavirus is new and no one is immune to it.

Once you get the yearly flu you are immune to that strain. The coronavirus appears to be able to reinfect those who have had it and within weeks and not years as is the case with the common cold.

The gestation period for the yearly flu is several days so the period of time that you are infectious but without symptoms is relatively short. Further the yearly flu makes you very sick keeping you in bed. The corona virus has a two week gestation period extending the time that you are infectious. And the coronavirus, in most cases, starts out relatively mild, like a cold, allowing you to go out and infect others.

rsetzer99
  2/28/2020 06:58 EST

According to The Guardian, there has currently only been one possible case of reinfection, that being a case in Japan. However they are unsure if it was a case of reinfection, or whether they misdiagnosed to begin with. ---- According to the American Journal of Epidemiology, the mortality rate of an outbreak is typically not properly calculated until the outbreak is over. Using an on the fly calculations are misleading primarily because the number of people for whom the outcome is unknown is non negligible. For comparison, the final mortality rates for some other not so distant outbreaks. SARS = 10% and MERS = 34% --- Caution is also advised by most organizations on leaping to mortality conclusions based on current death counts is that because the symptoms are typically only deadly for elderly people with other underlying problems, and many younger people end up with very mild symptoms and never end up in the reported case pool and this potentially skews calculations as well. The biggest test I think will be the US. It is of course absurd to believe they have any handle on it. Decades of funding cuts have left local health agencies with little resources, and there is just no way it is not already loose in the population at large. There will be a vaccine, but likely not until the end of 2020, which on vaccine timelines, would be a record. It remains to be seen whether the world can survive being in panic mode for the rest of the year.

Sergios
  2/28/2020 07:27 EST

I don't advocate panic but it's better to be careful. There have been multiple reports of reinfection in china. The kids that are having very mild symptoms are still infectious and generally not very careful at keeping it to themselves.

HenryGiovanni
  2/28/2020 09:19 EST

Hi All (and not aimed at you, Sergios),

We are at war with Coronavirus. We have always been at war with Coronavirus. Ebolastan and Swineflululand are our friends.

As long as we allow govt (any govt, but mostly the shadow govts, or the Deep State) to dictate our fears we will be subject to control. A populace in constant fear will. be servile, and a servile populace is a docile populace, Get ready for your 2-minutes' hate session on race, sex, or a multitude of politically correct phobias, including, nowadays, health.

Unfortunately, the world health organizations have been compliant with globalist govts, and have politicized all and sundry health issues. They deserve de-funding and cannot now complain. Remind me, exactly, what their (WHO, CDC, etc) issues were regarding mass migration and open borders, because I forget. Truly, it's all about the money, and health be damned.

Three (or more!) years of constant crises (panics, at least in the US, but also in EU) that utterly failed to materialize as constantly predicted, ad nauseam, lead me to conclude that Life, really, ain't quite so bad as all that. We can choose to live our lives in fear, but that is entirely up to each of us.

Or, we can choose to live Life as it is given to us, while still exercising the normal amount of prudence that each of us believes (rightly or wrongly) that we already exercise.

If one looks at history, the trend in govt has been to compartmentalize each individual, right down to "one" (see HIPAA, for a very clear example in the realm of healthcare, no less. See also Identity Politics). After all, "loose talk" could be dangerous to govts, and Lord knows individuals are prone to congregate and gossip, and if they can do that then they might just take some overt action contrary to the best expectations of our respective govts. We can't have that going on all over while our obvious betters are trying their utmost to rule our lives. It is best that we just conform and comply. For our own benefit, of course. We all know that "they" have an excess of brains and morals to guide us simple folk. No mention is ever made of money.

Alas, some forethought is required. One should stock up on non-perishables just in case a quarantine hits your specific town. I suggest lots of wine and toilet paper for starters. And popcorn. Don't forget the popcorn. Some things in life are more important than other things. Remember, man cannot live on bread alone! Food is over-rated, and probably each of us would allow as we could stand to lose a few pounds anyway. It's time to get tough.

On another note, I saw a comment earlier about "La Dolce Vita", and how it is long gone. I disagree. One can search worldwide for that right place where one will be eternally happy, but one won't find it. I suggest that La Dolce Vita is inside of us, in our hearts (if you will allow that analogy). One can decide to be happy in the worst of times and places, to make-do. If one cares to look (and sometimes that itself is a very hard job to do), one can find a silver lining in every single day, regardless of how cloudy that day really was. I know this from experience. One must continue reviewing each day until one can identify that one single event that made that particular day worth living. Or one can choose to be unhappy in life. It is a personal choice. One truly can learn to be happy, and it starts with merely wanting what you already have, and not more. Nobody cares about the Joneses. Too often, we (Americans, at least) put our credibility in money, usually in "more money". Which means "more work". If one only works just a bit more for a bit more money, then one will finally be happy. It doesn't work that way. One never quite gets enough. You really can choose to be happy.

Reject the fear, ignore the money, and enjoy Italy. Life can be good, but it's up to you.
Remember: non-perishables!
Cheers, John.

whidden39
  2/28/2020 09:52 EST

John, thanks for putting things in perspective. I just stocked the pantry with perishables from toilet paper to wine! No kidding. And I so agree about the popcorn. I have been popping my own for years and just had a big bowl last night with good olive oil instead of butter (but like popcorn with butter or plain too). Just ran out of my Orville
Redenbacker brought from the states, but kernels are easily available here too. You play the hand you’re dealt, I guess. If it is advised that I stay away from crowds in public and spend more time in my beautiful home in Italy, it would be a welcome incarceration in La Dolce Vita.

HenryGiovanni
  2/28/2020 14:25 EST

Hi whidden39,
Wine, toilet paper, popcorn. Just the basics! Of course, all of these could be considered "perishables", but that requires direct action on one's part. As long as the stores remain stocked and the vino sfuso continues to flow from the taps right downstairs, then those stores will remain "non-perishables", for later use in case of drastic measures. And when this all blows over I'll save some money on the weekly shopping for awhile.

My lovely wife just had a foot operation prior to all of this breaking loose, so she is home-bound and I am at her beck-and-call. I am only going out for the absolute necessities. Unfortunately, I've had to spend considerable time becoming minimally conversant on this virus. Nuts. It makes me wonder what is happening that I'm not supposed to notice because of this distraction?

I'm glad your incarceration won't be unduly burdensome! My home, too, is "beautiful", to me. And I won't mind hanging around. Life could be worse, but it's not. Not today.

Cheers, John.

Mynamenot
  2/28/2020 20:02 EST

I think it spreads easier than the standard flu so I'd definitely take whatever precautions are recommended by the WHO.

dave2018
  2/29/2020 00:28 EST

This has nothing to do with the over-hyped coronavirus, but I wanted to respond to theFountain's question about Janin's comment regarding the Dolce Vita being long gone:

I agree with HenryGiovanni that living the sweet life is largely up to the individual, but not entirely. The country. city, and area you live in does indeed have an impact on your quality of life. Italy is not the same place that my wife, who is Italian, and I experienced 25 years ago. We visited in 2009 and even then noticed things getting worse. Our friends and relatives all tell us that Italy has changed for the worse. Crime is much worse for example. Another example is that Italians don't get to retire with a full pension at 50 or 55 years of age any more like they did 20 years ago. The switch to the Euro from the Lira also greatly increased the cost of living in Italy. Unless you live in a really small town far from stores and such, you'll have to deal with really bad traffic and a lot of noise. I'm sure Italy is still a wonderful country despite the changes, but when we factor in other things it's just not for us right now. Enjoying one's life in Italy is really such a subjective and personal thing. You will read many comments from folks on this forum about how wonderful their life in Italy is, and that's great for them, but that may not be your experience. You also must keep in mind that some of the commenters on this forum are retired U.S. govt. employees or teachers and therefore their pensions are not taxed by Italy so they don't have to suffer at least one particularly negative aspect of being an Italian resident, i.e. the high taxes. It's easy for them to live the dolce vita in Italy because they're not having to fork over 30% of their hard earned income every year. Some others have not only this but also Italian spouses so they don't have to pay for the national health service and have a much easier time dealing with the bureaucracy and many other things because their wives speak the language, plus they have family there to help with things. My point is that you will read many opinions on this forum but everyone has their own particular circumstances and preferences which may be very different from yours resulting in a different living experience in Italy. The best way to know if you'll like it is to visit for a couple months. You should also visit a town in the north and one in the south because despite what some folks here say the north and south in Italy are quite different, almost like 2 different countries.

Sergios
  2/29/2020 03:15 EST

We decided long ago to return to the USA for family reasons. We booked a flight out of Florence on SAS for April 5. That is over a month in the future and the threat level in Italy was just raised to 3 out of 5. We are considering forefitting the April flight and taking an earlier flight out only because the way the covid-19 is spreading, it's a matter of time that Tuscany becomes locked down like places up north. The biggest problem I'm having is the dearth of information about Americans trying to fly back to the USA. There is nothing. Everything is about visiting Italy.
We can't just get on a plane today because we have a car and a dog. The car has French plates and cannot be sold until it has Italian plates. A process that normally takes 6 months but I am paying 800 euro to expidite the process. Expected delivery this coming Monday but being Italy, that may not be the case. Until I am sure, I can not buy tickets. Then when we do have the plates I can't buy tickets for less than 48 hours out because that is the required time for them, the airlines, to be notified about the dog. So the uncertainty is that if I sell the car and during that 48 hours the threat level rises again and trump shuts down air travel, we will be left without a car. We live in the country walking distance to nowhere.
Those of you who consider this outbreak to be hype, do so at your own risk. It is such attitudes that cause the virus to spread faster than it should.

2amilano
  2/29/2020 03:40 EST

I've found some information on individual airline website. That might help. It looks like they are reducing the number of flights. With that goes higher costs and less availability.

almare2
  2/29/2020 04:36 EST

Sergio, I feel for you, and I know you're not the kind of person to get upset over nothing. I'm already worried about flying from Italy to the UK next Wednesday and then to the US the following day. I, too, cannot find any information about flying in that direction. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. I've already decided to cancel my Baltic cruise in April, not so much because I'm afraid of getting sick, but the ship calls at eight ports in as many different countries, and all it would take would be one person to come back to the ship ill, even with the flu, to put the ship into quarantine. I would be in an interior cabin with no natural light and with recycled air. No, thanks!

I wish you all the best in this trying time.

Sergios
  2/29/2020 05:49 EST

Almare2, I would don a facemask just to look at a picture of a cruise ship at this point.

almare2
  2/29/2020 06:51 EST

Sergio, you funny! My friend in Australia who is coming to go on the cruise with me thinks the whole thing is exaggerated. Ha ha. Obviously the Australians are not getting the news that we are. All of my friends here in Europe say "Cancel!" Well, whether I lose a friend or not, I'm canceling.

foxwhite1
  2/29/2020 09:22 EST

I could not agree more with dave2018, however, let me add, what he describes is happening in the US as well. We have moved 3 times within Florida trying to maintain a good quality of life, only to slowly watch the new town turn into the city we left. Crime, high taxes, congestion, loss of small businesses replaced by chain stores selling the same crap and more. We were in Miami this week, where I grew up and the city is in my opinion unlivable. Yet, block after block of new construction and not a roadway that was not congested at 2 in the afternoon. Utter madness particularly since Florida is running out of fresh water. There is no solution I am certain, so one must do their best to find that place that gives them the best quality of life, albeit it may only be for a number of years until that place becomes unlivable. Certainly there are many smaller towns in Italy where one can still find the 'dolce vita' just don't expect to find it in the larger cities. Given all that, I would rather be in Italy than the US or the UK any day! Just me 2 cents...

Sergios
  2/29/2020 10:16 EST

Please read the following link. It's 12 common myths about covid-19,

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-myths.html?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9160&utm_content=LVS_newsletter+&utm_term=3596086&m_i=Za5ZYUviz0FBhmnhWVqiSMBO9jHl9oP0tbFFkvcUJcaUx7gdYmqyRn%2BVbYc7htsABWyL1RcF0MLdsDYXX9su9qpHvyiHlo0dkgf7hJCZZG

foxwhite1
  3/1/2020 08:56 EST

If you want to see how this virus is affecting everyday life in Italy check out these live webcams:

Here is Piazza San Marco nearly deserted -
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/veneto/venezia/piazza-san-marco.html

Here is the link for all the Italian webcams:
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia.html

Sergios
  3/1/2020 14:06 EST

I don't advocate panic but it's better to be careful. There have been multiple reports of reinfection in china. The kids that are having very mild symptoms are still infectious and generally not very careful at keeping it to themselves.

almare2
  3/1/2020 14:09 EST

Another thing is, I just read that the US CDC has just said that coronavirus was probably circulating in Washington State for six weeks before the disease showed up clinically. So people who are carrying the virus can infect a lot of people before they show symptoms of the disease.

Sergios
  3/1/2020 16:37 EST

Information provided by a friend of mine. I thought it may be useful here.

60 countries now...

Two more things to learn in the #Covid19 vocabulary:

1) Cryptic Transmission - transmission of the virus in an unknown manner or source. This is where limiting social interaction and washing your hands and devices regularly become even more important. This especially important as this COVID19 is very contagious.

Example: Unknowingly infected person sneezes and droplets fall on a table in a public area or in an office or in a classroom. Virus remains active for hours. You sit down at the same table and either put your hands on the table or lay your smart phone on the table in the contaminated area. Then you touch your face or pick up up phone that now is contaminated and touch your face. Now you’re exposed. This is how it spreads now. Be mindful of your interactions. Wash your hands and devices frequently.

2) Attenuation- which is a fancy word that means lessens the impact. It is like wearing a seatbelt in a crash. You may be injured, but you’re not dead because you did not fly out the windshield or airbags were deployed.

Viral attenuation is the next best thing after outright prevention through vaccination. We don’t know just yet when there will be a vaccination and available globally though many countries are working on one now.

How well you can attenuate viral exposure depends on how well you take care of yourself and what you are eating and getting proper levels of nutrition, sleep, and exercise.

For example,Vitamin D can attenuate the influenza virus. So having proper levels of Vitamin D can lessen the impact of the flu.

Similarly, it’s been reported this Coronavirus depletes it’s host of selenium, an essential mineral, which it needs to replicate itself. So if you don’t have healthy levels (not toxic levels as high selenium intake is toxic) of Se, the difference could be using an analogy, the difference between getting slapped in the face with a hand or getting hit on the head with a hammer. You’ll recover from a slap but maybe not the hammer. Eating the right foods will give you proper levels of Selenium. Did you know Brazil nuts are among the highest nutrient dense sources of Se? Eating 2-4 Brazil nuts a day will give you a healthy amount of Selenium. So eating right and immune smart is the way to go.

Based upon what’s known so far about 8 out 10 patients will recover quickly with the experience being like a bad chest cold. For 2 out of 10 however, this will be the worst chest infection, 105 degree fevers, and losing the ability to breathe as the viral battle is deep in the lungs of the patient. If the patient is already compromised by another health condition or elderly, the stress could likely be too much resulting in death.
This is unfortunately what happens in a pandemic as it is nature’s culling of a species.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

I hope this information is helpful.

almare2
  3/1/2020 17:05 EST

Very helpful, thank you, Sergio.

rsetzer99
  3/2/2020 03:55 EST

Where is the reinfection stat coming from? I cannot find this reported by any credible medical agencies.

Sergios
  3/2/2020 06:41 EST

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762452

rsetzer99
  3/2/2020 07:37 EST

My understanding of the article was not a confirmation of reinfection, but rather that they were discovering that some health profession patients may still have indications of the virus in their systems even after they were thought to be fully recovered. They admit that the study sample is too small to draw real conclusions and that detailed study of non health profession patients was needed to gain more understanding. It sounds like they need to be able to understand if their system for clearing a patient is at fault, or something else.

Sergios
  3/2/2020 07:39 EST

All four were negative when released and all four became positive afterwards.

papercut
  3/5/2020 07:49 EST

COVID-19 Mutation and Evolution


Sergios,


I have been watching the videos on the below YouTube channel for some time and believe it a good site for explaining diseases. Dr. John Campbell is a retired UK nurse instructor- I wish my professors were as well versed and thorough in a way that anyone could understand each topic.

Today's vlog titled “COVID-19 Mutation and Evolution”, discusses current studies and theories- references given. Dr. John uses easily understood, good explanations with diagrams on this disease and prevention applications everyone can do.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYPZHA-UjUY


papercut

HenryGiovanni
  3/9/2020 18:25 EST

Hi All,
I'm back, like a boomerang, or a bad dream (I think that's called "illiteration"). I reply to my own post so that I don't have to apalogyze (or whatever that word is) to others while replying to their original post (sorry, Sergios, but you happened to be the reply-poster, last time 'round).

Well, the "grassi bastardi" (I'm told, on good authority, that this is a local term, in the dialect of the Veneto region, describing "The Govt") finally decided to "Red Zone" me. I, for one, am truly glad to hear this, because I already drank all the white wine that was stored down in the garage, so it's all good here. I foresee zero future impact from this new regulation, and will be happy to comply by sticking to only red, in a Red Zone. Sometimes Life really does work in your favor. Count your blessings while you can.

In other matters, one is supposed to maintain a certain "social distance" (see the post to which I am replying for how the govt, any govt, but especially govts bent on imposing tyranny of any sort, would like to separate us, one from the other). It is always easier to take down "a mob of one" than to take down a "mob of irate citizens bearing pitchforks and tar", demanding that govt do what they, the unruly and uneducated mob, demand. Seems like today, a "mob" consists of exactly "two". Put a point in the column that doesn't have your name above it, and vow to do better next time 'round.

So. The "social distance" is put at 1-meter. Everything I've read says the CV is, or at least can be, spread by sneezing, which has a practicable distance of 3-meters. That's what the experts say, if one trusts any media account at all. This must be "common-core" math, because I'm older than that (common-core math) and I STILL don't get it.

Remember not to speak to each other when keeping that "social distance"; germs are airborne, you know, and you COULD be the next Mrs. O'Leary of Chicago fame (or "infamy"). Who, after all, would like to be confused with the Japanese? They are not like us, we are not like them, and nobody is like, or even wants to be like, Mrs. O'Leary. Why? I ask you. Why?

I must say that yesterday, on Intl Women's Day or whatever it's called, on taking a passagiato with my wife on the local argine, I could not help but notice the large numbers of folks who completely disregarded any, repeat, ANY, govt advice concerning THEIR OWN PERSONAL SAFETY, and were seen, in public, in front of God and everybody, to be walking side-by-side, and, GASP!, even in groups! The nerve! HOW DARE THEY? Don't they realize that the "Greater Good" is in danger? How could they not think of all those "Others" imperiled by their own selfish wants and desires?

OK, I admit, lives are being lost, and on a scale, we are being constantly updated from govt media, that is "unacceptable". Or worse. I can only ask why, oh why, are flights still available FROM (ie- not "TO", but "FROM") open airports at Malapensa ("Bad Thought"? in Milano) and Marco Polo (Venezia). And, if it really ISN'T about the money, then why are all of the borders still open across the oh-so-sacred Schengen Zone? What, exactly, is at stake here?

And why are the buses (not, God forgive, "busses", which is an entirely different matter upon which the govt will soon declare some regulation or another) still running? Who would even get on a bus nowadays? And to what end? Really? For the equivalent of a EU 1.20 bus ticket? I'm missing something here.

I will take a minute to reiterate my suggestion re: the non-perishables, but further suggest upping the amount of stored RED wine (especially should one find oneself in a declared Red Zone). And if you have the white wine stored downstairs, better drink it fast before the grassi bastardi outlaw it by declaring your dream destination a "Red Zone". We've all heard it before: "this is the NEW NORMAL!". Get used to it.

I have a message for those who take me seriously: Thank you.

I have a separate message for those who don't: Thank you.

Stay balanced.
Don't forget the non-perishables.
Cheers, John.

codybrandy
  3/10/2020 09:26 EST

Just to put in my 2 cents from Liguria (5Terre area): all the stores today (desperate for dog food) have posted stay 3' away from each other and the pharmacy was allowing only 1 person at a time inside. We've had calls from the comune with update info and the mayor has posted daily on FB info about the warnings for the area. Actually I quite impressed with the level of concern, yet no panic. All bars and restaurants are only allowed to open 6 to 6pm which will hurt their business but in our area lunch/pranzo is the big meal anyway. The big grocer is still fully stocked and the little town grocers are doing a better than average business. Sadly the Asian markets (getting very popular...they are quite like the US 5 and dime) are shortening their hours because of concern...I'm afraid a bit of racism is raising it's ugly head. Remember folks, just because they look Asian doesn't mean they aren't fully Italian! Well, that's the news from Lago Wobegone...Stai bene!

thefountain
  3/10/2020 11:34 EST

Praying for Italy and the coronavirus. The virus has just hit the area I live. New Yorkers are living normal lives as if there is no real threat .

Thank you for everyone giving me their take on la dolce vita.

Sergios
  3/11/2020 07:22 EST

The idea of the quarantine in Italy is to limit the migration of the virus. People are to stay within their own communities (townships) but they can travel if they have good reason to. Like going to work or back home. They fill out forms (auto-authorization) with all the relevant details to show the police should they get stopped. That is how we are getting to the airport in Rome Thursday. Four hours away.
Italians must remain in Italy, again, unless they have good reason to leave. Non-Italians can't be held against their will and are allowed to leave if their country will have them. But all this can change tomorrow.

HenryGiovanni
  3/11/2020 14:55 EST

Hi Sergios,
Best of luck with your travels, and the reasons therefore, meant sincerely.

I suggest you prepare for a self-quarantine (or involuntary quarantine). You probably already know this.

We always hope for the best, while anticipating the worst. I hope you only encounter "the best".

Cheers, John.

HenryGiovanni
  3/11/2020 15:18 EST

Hi Maradel,
I'm afraid you ascribe to me qualities I lack, in person. Practicality? I'll be quick with this.

I feel like a dirty commie stuck in post-war Berlin after the wall was built. There is a sudden lack of entertainment, which I was trying my best to rectify.

I only wanted to see the post-white-wine depletion Red-Zone battles over toilet paper acquisition on youtube!

We begin to be desperate! And I'm not talking about the toilet paper at this point. Not yet.

But I am glad to begin to prepare to start to get ready for same, here. Just let me get another glass of red (ie- NOT white!).

Or, I could just buy two instead of one next time 'round. I'm gonna note that this limitation DOES NOT APPLY to stocks of red, in a RED Zone. I am reminded of an old and revered adage on the shop-floors: "Whatever is worth doing is worth over-doing". This should apply to all red wine supplies, and you will thank me when the days of beets and potato-vodka come around.

We all do what we must, and what we can, hopeful that the State will save us in the end!

My several thanks to those who do and those who don't, as before.

Cheers, John.

guestuser
  3/11/2020 15:20 EST

Safe travels Sergios!

HenryGiovanni
  3/12/2020 11:34 EST

Hi All,
Back in the "old days", sometime around a month ago or so, all my criminal plans included some sort of firearm, maybe an epic running gun-battle, a fast car or a faster internet wire-transfer link, lots of money, and somewhere the paparazzi (oh yeah, and the police!) couldn't find me, beach optional, preferably with a long-standing and much-revered non-extradition treaty in place.

Now, my criminal plans revolve mostly about figuring out how to go down the block to the local bicycle repair shop for parts, without getting "shot" with an EU 200 ticket and/or a 3-month solo vacation, during which I could ponder my own feeble attempts to rise above the class rank designated as "mine" by people of obviously-superior brain function and morals.

Today, for example, I conspired to take my wife out of the house, after 30 days or so of post-op confinement, to visit a friend who lives close-by. Because her foot hasn't entirely healed, we needed a fast car, but settled for an older Fiat Panda I found parked in our spot downstairs. Unfortunately, I left all the guns in CA (Nuts!), so we had to just trust to luck.

Also, unfortunately, it later transpired that exactly no money was involved. (Nuts again!). After our criminal escapade of daring to "travel" five blocks without the proper "papers", we were left with little choice (thanks to the lack of money and guns) but to return home. All this without even getting more toilet paper! It's true that I could have stolen some from our host, but that crossed a personal limit-line I set long ago when I first embarked upon my criminal career, and, besides, she did give us a wonderful breakfast of red wine and spaghetti, followed by what I could only suspect to be outlawed white wine here in this Red Zone.

Life is no longer fair. I am beginning to think I should find another career. This crime business just doesn't pay, anymore.

Fair winds and following seas to all.

Cheers, John.

MrsVannelli
  3/12/2020 11:47 EST

Love your daring attitude! Gotta build a little entertainment into your dreary days, as the wine isn't running out of the taps in your town:)

Feeling like a sitting duck in my classroom in SF this morning waiting for SFUSD to make the right choice and close the schools, as the archdiocese already has as of yesterday/today (depending on the school, and most local universities did late last week.

Stay healthy!!

HenryGiovanni
  3/12/2020 12:47 EST

Hi MrsVannelli,
It's a dangerous life out there, but I choose to live my life on the very edge of danger, running police blockades and such just to get more toilet paper. It's no coincidence that James Bond's initials and mine are the same!

The alternative, of course, is the life of a surburbanite listening to all those never-ending crises manufactured by the MSM for nightly digestion. I prefer the crisis of toilet paper over impeachment. But that's just me.

As for the "wine running from the taps", this is the second time I've heard about this and, truly, wonder where this story comes from. I would consider leaving family and pets behind for such a place. Please advise.

Sorry for the "sitting-duck syndrome". It's got to be a bit un-nerving. Someone upstairs has a plan; trust in it. We are mere bit-players with walk-on parts, none of which are important to the whole show, except as we are individually concerned. And anyway, we are each allowed our own choices; one can always quit at the drop of a hat, as was my wont in younger days. Employment is a two-way street, or else it's called "slavery".

Cheers from the "Red Zone", John.

foxwhite1
  3/12/2020 13:10 EST

Henry, just in case you run of vino and need something else to distract you.....there was an announcement today by an adult website:

The announcement reads:

‘Forza Italia, We love you! P*rnHub has decided to donate its percentage revenue from ModelHub platform from March to help Italy during the outbreak.”

P*rnHub added:

‘To help you during these weeks at home, for the whole months you can access P*rnHub Premium free of charge, with no need of using your credit card.”

https://www.techspot.com/news

miki184
  3/12/2020 13:20 EST

Hmmm, I see you're a bit obsessed with toilet paper. Do the people in your town have the runs? And since you're no longer in CA, haven't you learned how to use the bidet yet? Help the planet, use less paper! After all, to quote you, you CAN!

HenryGiovanni
  3/12/2020 13:28 EST

Hi foxwhite1,
Thank you so much for your concern. We here in the Red Zone are fast running out of options.

However, I cannot follow your suggestion because the life I lead is one of danger, always danger, in my quest for more toilet paper. P*rnhub sounds like a nice place, but some of us are destined for other things. Besides, my wife probably wouldn't agree with your suggestion, and we, and here I mean all of us, remain committed to avoiding WWIII. None of us, I'm sure, would want the catalyst to be found to have started in our own living room. Think of the headlines in tomorrow's paper.

At any rate, I am far too busy planning now-criminal enterprises that were the "old-normal" yesterday. One Adapts, Improvises, and Overcomes!

Cheers, John.

HenryGiovanni
  3/12/2020 13:47 EST

Hi miki184,
I do my best to avoid extreme loss of paper by posting online, but, sometimes, just sometimes, actual paper is necessary. This includes toilet paper.

I joke because those who don;t prepare seem to like fighting over it at Costco or wherever, all of which ends up online. It is my personal entertainment in this Red Zone. One may search online for "2020 Toilet Paper Battles" or similar, but will never find me. Sorry to disappoint everyone.

Bidet? And all this time I thought that was a foot-cleaner. Apparently, folks need less foot-cleaning than before, and these items are disappearing on the common housing market. Only today, at our friend's house to which we went illegally, I saw one of those out on the balcony. As if anyone with any moral standards at all would clean their feet on a balcony! Alas, such is the state of affairs nowadays!

Cheers, John.

MrsVannelli
  3/12/2020 14:09 EST

John, for your reading pleasure:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-lambrusco-wine-from-faucet-castelvetro-trnd/index.html

Wise words...taking it moment by moment...at least less germy students are in school today...

as for the toilet paper, shelves are empty but bidets, or in our case a bide toilet seat, solves the problem of hoarding:)

miki184
  3/12/2020 14:16 EST

Maybe because you're a man you don't know that the bidet is a woman's God send, especially for those during their fertile years. And just to keep the record straight, I wrote my reply with a bit of tongue in cheek so please take that into consideration ;-)

If it weren't prohibited you could come down to central Italy where we have more than enough TP!

HenryGiovanni
  3/12/2020 15:24 EST

Hi MrsVannelli,
Thanks for the link. I'd heard about this from one other person, but thought it was just fake news.

Well, 1000 gallons or liters of diluted wine isn't enough to make me leave my wife and three cats. Guess I'll just have to wait for the next best opportunity.

As a note to all: references to toilet paper is a joke, meant to show how hard times "can"be (though not necessarily as they "are"), when things come down to brass tacks. We are under constraint, here, much to my personal dislike as an American. Humor, not diversity, is our strength.

Cheers, John.

MrsVannelli
  3/12/2020 16:15 EST

Love your humor, John! However, the toilet paper situation is truly an issue stateside.

Many of us on this side of the pond are monitoring the situation in Italy. Rough times...

HenryGiovanni
  3/12/2020 16:33 EST

Hi miki184,
It is precisely because I am a man that I write as I do. One needs a base. This particular base you describe, given by chromosomes, happens to be mine. One can argue, but I see no point in it. One is either XX or XY. There is no third alternative; the science is settled.

And, probably, your info on the use of a bidet is, in my opinion (see above), either wasted or TMI for me. I'm just gonna note that back in 1968, when I first saw one of these things, and as a soon-(or not-so soon)-to-be "man", I could think of no other reason for their existence except as a foot-cleaner, and was gleefully supported in my ignorance by family. Alas. One learns with age, hopefully.

Finally, nothing, repeat, NOTHING, I say should ever be taken seriously, outside of the obvious. I refuse to put a "/s" to denote sarcasm or satire, as required by "modern" users. One either gets it or one doesn't get it, but I refuse to follow someone else's made-up rules that keep changing. That is not the way of Ameri-"CANS".

I am here to help, not to fight. I am too old and have no interest in fighting. Humor, if I may go so far as to call it that (some may disagree) is my only weapon against the hardships of "Life". Take it in the spirit in which it is given. 'Or ignore it. As you choose. Nobody, and nothing, says I am right. Just how it is.

I have been to central Italy many, many, times. Thanks for the offer. We still have TP available on the shelves up here. But, . . ..

That's all.
Cheers, John.

HenryGiovanni
  3/12/2020 16:50 EST

Hi MrsVannelli,
It would seem my references to toilet paper have gotten out of hand, so to speak. Alas. Quarantined as I am here in the "Red Zone", I can only rely on youtube videos of toilet paper combat for entertainment.

I joke, because I have no need to watch such things, nor have I. But it seems like a good common "point of interest" that is sometimes overlooked when one thinks of "necessary supplies".

As for us "over here": have no fear. Italians won't put up with isolationism for very long, and the truth WILL come out, whatever that may be. Mind you, this is my personal opinion as an American living in Italy; others may, and probably will, disagree. Fine, We will see what happens, and I will be either right or wrong in my analysis. I am happy to be either of those.

Best wishes to all Italian readers who still reside in the US,

Cheers, John.

thefountain
  3/12/2020 18:16 EST

Hi all ,

Just giving you an update in the USA. I live in one of the ny boros.
They virus is spreading like wild fire. Grammar schools closing. No supplies for hand sanitizer or the ingredients to make it. Toilet paper at the verge of being sold out. Worse of all i heard there still are stupid people walking around with the virus not caring and not sanitizing their hands.

I continually pray for my family in Italy, especially for Zio who is 93, all of you and Italy. Keep me in your prayers.

Sunshine

thefountain
  3/12/2020 18:16 EST

Hi all ,

Just giving you an update in the USA. I live in one of the ny boros.
They virus is spreading like wild fire. Grammar schools closing. No supplies for hand sanitizer or the ingredients to make it. Toilet paper at the verge of being sold out. Worse of all i heard there still are stupid people walking around with the virus not caring and not sanitizing their hands.

I continually pray for my family in Italy, especially for Zio who is 93, all of you and Italy. Keep me in your prayers.

Sunshine

Maria222
  3/12/2020 18:41 EST

John-
I’m an Italian living in the U.S. and love reading your sometimes satirical stuff. You are awesome!

Ciao,
Maria

MrsVannelli
  3/12/2020 18:45 EST

If you can find everclear, you can make your own sanitizer. We had to resort to that 12 days ago.

SF just announced school closure for 54,000 students. Thankfully!! Hope NYC closes all schools to keep the kids home and away from getting and spreading this virus.

thefountain
  3/12/2020 19:15 EST

Schools are closing. Cant find any products to make homemade hand sanitizer. But if you dont mind give me your ingredients just incase you have a different ingredients. Thank you.
Just heard of a nursing home on lockdown.

almare2
  3/12/2020 20:07 EST

If you have rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel in the house, you can mix them 60/40 to make hand sanitizer.

equitraveler
  3/12/2020 20:21 EST

The recipe we have read is:
1 cup 90% isopropyl alcohol
1/2 aloe vera gel
15 drop essential oil such as grapefruit, peppermint, or tea tree oil.

stay safe, wash your hands, love each other.

MrsVannelli
  3/12/2020 21:09 EST

I used 1/2 cup everclear 120 proof, aloe vera enough to make it not runny, 2ish tsp of glycerin (so your hands don't dry out), drops of essential oil drops (chose medieval blend from Aura Cacia. I read many different recipes. I couldn't find isopropyl alcohol in our stores, hence the everclear. Some people use vodka but it's lower proof.

thefountain
  3/12/2020 21:10 EST

Thank you. That's what I have but everything is sold out. I'm looking for witch hazel since alchohol is sold out.

thefountain
  3/12/2020 21:13 EST

I'll look for everclear. Never heard of it. Thank you.

thefountain
  3/12/2020 21:17 EST

Thank you everyone for your help.

I just found out a nursing home is in lockdown. Schools closing, some churches closing. Was supposed to go to my doctor for my yearly checkup but cancelled since the nurse said they had coronavirus patients.

Going shopping tomorrow for food, wine, pasta.....

My prayers for Italy. I pray it gets better soon.

MrsVannelli
  3/12/2020 21:33 EST

it's 'grain alcohol'

glorirz
  3/13/2020 00:56 EST

Do not substitute vodka for rubbing alcohol in hand sanitizers. It doesn’t have a high enough alcohol content. Just drink it!

whidden39
  3/13/2020 04:22 EST

HG: Love the humor and relate strongly as it’s my own coping mechanism. I am cooperating with health edicts and staying home here in Puglia. I am in the garden more, cooking more, and do things I didn’t seem to make time for— like making limoncello with my own lemons. I watch movies at night. I’m doing all that I can to protect my physical and mental health. More than once I have recalled with a smile one of my favorite expressions of yours, “Things could be worse; but they’re not.” You’ve made me feel we’re all in this together. Grazie mille!

HenryGiovanni
  3/13/2020 11:44 EST

Hi whidden39,
Seems to me the whole world has gone insane. And if we can't laugh at ourselves just a bit, then our own seriousness will drive us crazy.

That TP business started out as a joke. Imagine, if you will, an entire movie where Bond, James Bond, chases toilet paper through all manner of plot twists and turns.

But it does appear to be a serious issue in the States. ??? It was just a joke!

On other matters, I'm glad to hear you are doing new things down there, and am especially glad to hear that something I said made some sense.

I said before that some think living in Italy is what's on the table when one sits down. I also suggested, instead, that living in Italy is really what one brings to the table when one sits down. At present, the offerings on the table aren't that great. Sometimes one must read to the bottom of the invitation for those words "Pot-Luck". Many haven't read quite that far down.

With the exception of an occasional foray (like yesterday) outside, we are mostly complying with the orders to stay home. My wife's foot operation pretty much excludes any travel, even locally, and that's going to take another month or so anyway, so the orders, though nice, were in our own particular case, unnecessary. I will say that what I do see resembles a ghost-town. I have hardly ever seen the piazza across the street empty, except in a hard rain. That piazza is the center of our little corner of paradise, and the number of folks out-and-about is usually comforting to see. Things are different today.

OK, time to go see what kind of damage I can do in my own kitchen! I may have to make up a new recipe: "Coronavirus Chili". I'm going to have to think that one over some more.

Best wishes to all.

Cheers, John.

HenryGiovanni
  3/13/2020 11:54 EST

Hi Maria222,
Thanks. One does what one can with what one has at hand, and then hopes for the best. I am happy to bring a bit of humor to our lives during this time. It is far too easy to get bogged down with all that serious stuff. Plus, it's depressing. Life doesn't have to be like that.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers, John.

whidden39
  3/13/2020 12:57 EST

HG: I highly recommend a Purell chaser with that chili.

MrsVannelli
  3/13/2020 13:05 EST

Exactly, glorirz! We had an old bottle of 151 proof everclear we used first. the 120 proof will have to do for now until we next shop across state lines - CA banned it a few years ago. 60% is the minimum you want. And on that note, drinking the vodka will help kill germs in your throat:)

thefountain
  3/13/2020 14:33 EST

Making limoncello. Great idea!

In nyc people are crazy. No food on the shelves, people being greedy, angry and walking around sick.

Everyone be safe. My prayers for Italy.

HenryGiovanni
  3/13/2020 14:35 EST

Hi whidden39,
Sorry. Purell chaser?
Seems I lead a sheltered life; I don't know what that is.
Cheers, John.

thefountain
  3/13/2020 20:52 EST

Some news I want to share. Don't know if you already heard this, but there is some hope to help the recovery from the coronavirus .

https://www.napolitoday.it/cronaca/coronavirus-farmaco-sperimentale-pascale.html

MrsVannelli
  3/14/2020 00:47 EST

Thank you for sharing this! Saw the drug name in the pat few days, but in the craze that is life right now couldn’t remember it.

whidden39
  3/14/2020 03:04 EST

A couple of days ago I saw an old timer foraging for wild asparagus in the fields next to my property. I couldn’t help but think how this activity might provide him comfort in these times of semi-panic and food flying off supermarket shelves. I wondered how many panics or pestilences this warrior gatherer might have faced through his many decades. I do know that until recently, life could be very hard here in Puglia before tourism began lifting more boats on our seas. I so admire the Pugliese, their spirit, their pride in work. They are resilient, generous, and resourceful. I bet this guy could teach me a few things between the bookends of survival and living a full life. I’ll be sure to give him a bottle of my limoncello when I see him again. Salute a tutti.

whidden39
  3/14/2020 03:07 EST

Purell is a popular US brand of hand sanitizer!! LOL

maradel
  3/14/2020 07:08 EST

I'm laughing about the toilet paper wars! It's so ridiculous! I'm living in Austria now and I went to the Interspar, the big "american-style" supermarket in Graz this morning. Lots of food, cleaning supplies, pet food, etc. NO TOILET PAPER! It just made me laugh!

In the land of bidets, people are insane about toilet paper!

John, by the way, my favorite use for bidets is rinsing my floor mop. It's good for washing feet too. Does any American use those things as they're intended? That's ok, don't answer!

HenryGiovanni
  3/14/2020 09:20 EST

Hi whidden39,
Thanks. I gotta get out more!
Cheers, John.

miki184
  3/14/2020 11:12 EST

Or your brain!

miki184
  3/14/2020 11:16 EST

Many are walking around sick because they can't afford to stay home! Italy will be fine, pray for America!!! I think they will need it more than Italy since there is an incompetent leader in the WH. :,-(

equitraveler
  3/14/2020 13:06 EST

I agree; there are skills and a level of resilience that I fear some younger people don't know and don't have, like actually cooking for one's self. Panic shopping for everything from cleaning supplies to paper goods to frozen food to pasta has arrived in Colorado. Yesterday the grocery store was packed at 7 AM and many shelves were bare, particularly for prepared foods like frozen entrees and vegetables. Conversely things were pretty calm over in the produce section. Here there have been 80 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 1 death, but our state government is being very proactive in preparing the medical system, limiting events, and testing. As of yesterday all fully 10% of the covid tests done in the US nationwide have occurred in CO. We are hunkered down at home with a full pantry and freezer and I am entertaining myself planning this year's vegetable garden, because we older folks know how to grow and preserve vegetables as well as cook them. Stay safe everyone!

HenryGiovanni
  3/14/2020 18:19 EST

Hi miki184;
OK, I, for one, will call BS.
I note that my prior response seems to have gone "missing", so I will try to keep this one in "tone".

You state:
"there is an incompetent leader in the WH. :,-(", complete with smiley-face,

Your assertion would imply that you have some level of "competence" that would allow you to judge the "incompetence" of "others", say, for example, those in the "WH".

I, for one, am tired of this BS. Please explain, exactly, and in detail, how your own actions would be better than those of "your president".

As a side matter, and one you didn't bring up, but I do, please let me know exactly how many of those dems from hollywood who promised to leave the country if "your president" was elected, as he was, actually left. I'm a bit confused, because my own personal count is something near "zero".

So what, exactly, are your actions that would supersede any of those taken by "your president" to date, concerning the Coronavirus epidemic? Details matter, here, because we are trying to measure the exact level of "incompetence" that is being alleged, in order to take further action on this particular point. Of course, in these dire times, we cannot discount any possible solutions, so please give all of the details of your specific plan to combat CV. We, the imperiled masses, eagerly await your response. Please advise.

I note here that this message is somewhat "nicer" than my previous message, which, for reason A or reason B, was held up. That message was "more directly to the point" than this message, but was probably held up for "sanitary" reasons. Who knows?

Beware the Ides of March.

And beware censorship of any sort.

I await your response, as I'm sure we all do.

Cheers, John.

thefountain
  3/14/2020 19:12 EST

??

thefountain
  3/14/2020 19:13 EST

Thanks John well said

HenryGiovanni
  3/14/2020 19:56 EST

Hi thefountain,
I await a comprehensive and coherent, plus detailed, reply to my request before I am able to respond.

But thanks! Not all of us believe as we are required to believe. Least of all, me. Damn the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead. Life awaits those who are willing. Or something like that.

We don't need no stinkin' Coronavirus!

Cheers, John.

HenryGiovanni
  3/14/2020 20:14 EST

Edit:

Ooops!

" as we are required to believe"

should maybe be better read as:

" as we are expected to believe"

but NEVER as:
" as we are "told" to believe".

Damn Those Particular Torpedoes!

I will admit some things, but NEVER that thing! One may "take orders" for pay, but there is no other reason for doing so, and even some of those "orders" are questionable. One follows the heart, and there is nothing else. Damn the Torpedoes!

Cheers, John.

foxwhite1
  3/14/2020 23:01 EST

John, Bravo, I could add an entire page to your very well said reply but it's not necessary as I believe you got your point across, not that it will do any good!!

whidden39
  3/15/2020 05:17 EST

If we continue with political jibes here, count me out! Please STOP! Focus on the thread topic and the purpose of this forum.

whidden39
  3/15/2020 05:17 EST

If we continue with political jibes here, count me out! Please STOP! Focus on the thread topic and the purpose of this forum.

islandblues
  3/15/2020 05:20 EST

Please stop with the political sparring. aren't we already under enough stress? Be kind. Thank you.

francinecasalinolaura
  3/15/2020 06:40 EST

Political sparring is not the purpose of this forum. Please keep your opinions to yourself or take it to Private Messaging. Grazie!

thefountain
  3/15/2020 08:59 EST

John,

You always try to help everyone.
May I say let us leave anything political out of this thread. But instead concentrate on supporting each other during this challenging time. When it comes to politics I no longer discuss it because people have a reason for their opinions. Having worked as an auditor for nyc we uncovered many things but not everything was reported to the public - so people base their opinion on what they hear not the whole story that wasn't reported.

Maybe a thread can be started on a different thread for people to discuss politics.

I hope you don't mind me saying this.. I look forward to reading all your info on living in Italy . Thank you again.
I hope your wife is getting better.
Praying for everyone in Italy.

foxwhite1
  3/15/2020 09:09 EST

A very interesting perspective on the virus and the hysteria.

https://youtu.be/iqhJmsZC_a4

miki184
  3/15/2020 17:25 EST

Hello one and all,

Yuck, yuck, yuck! I guess none of you have much else to do except wait and wonder what my response will be. Well, this is my public one, I will take up the 'real' answer privately in the back room with mr hj as, some of you may or may not agree, this forum is not the place for personal attacks even though this is the second time I have been attacked by mr hj.
One very important thing to remember is my opinion is my opinion. I don't seem to recall asking you to agree with me.
I can say that mr hj seems to want to fight and I am happy to give him one, but in private ;-)! Just remember I did not start the argument or the berating.

dave2018
  3/15/2020 19:25 EST

To: miki184

Actually, you did start the argument and became political with your statement "I think they will need it more than Italy since there is an incompetent leader in the WH."

Your opinion of the President of the United States has nothing to do with the covid-19 situation in Italy.

Dave

foxwhite1
  3/16/2020 00:12 EST

dave2018 - ditto 100x

foxwhite1
  3/16/2020 08:21 EST

Important Info, NON-Political! The below is from the CDC.

How it spreads

Most spread is from droplets produced when an infected person coughs, which are inhaled by people nearby. Transmission from touching contaminated surfaces hasn't been shown yet, though recent tests by U.S. scientists suggest it's possible -- one reason they recommend washing your hands and not touching your face.

The virus can live in the air for several hours, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. Cleaning surfaces with solutions containing diluted bleach should kill it.

How fast does it spread?

Each infected person spreads to two or three others on average, researchers estimate. It spreads more easily than flu but less than measles, tuberculosis or some other respiratory diseases. It is not known if it spreads less easily among children, but fewer of them have been diagnosed with the disease. A study of 1,099 patients in China found that 0.9% of the cases were younger than 15.

What are the symptoms?

Most people get fever and cough, sometimes fatigue or shortness of breath, and recover after about two weeks. About 15% develop severe disease, including pneumonia, Chinese scientists reported from 45,000 cases there. Symptoms usually start slowly and often worsen as the illness goes on.

In a report last week on the first 12 patients in the U.S., seven were hospitalized; most had underlying health problems and got worse during the second week of illness.

In China, slightly more males have been diagnosed with COVID-19 than females, which might be because roughly half of Chinese men smoke but only 5% of females do, Frieden said.

Children seem to get less sick -- a report on 10 in China found that fevers tended to be milder and they lacked clear signs of pneumonia.

What does it feel like?

Some cruise ship passengers described symptoms similar to the common cold or flu.

“It’s been a 2 on a scale of 10,” said Carl Goldman, who was hospitalized in Omaha, Nebraska, after flying home.

However, a Chinese postgraduate student described going to the hospital twice after her symptoms worsened, and feeling "a heavy head while walking, unable to breathe, and nauseous."

What's the test like?

The CDC recommends at least two swabs -- nose and throat. Samples are sent to labs that look for bits of viral genetic material, which takes roughly 4 to 6 hours. Altogether, it can take several days to ship a sample and get results back.

It's been taking two to three days, and "we are working really hard to see if we can shorten that time" by developing an in-house test, Dr. Aimee Moulin of the University of California, Davis said Thursday in a conference call held by the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Some areas have opened drive-thru sites for testing, which could reduce exposure to health workers and other patients or the public.

When is the virus most contagious?

The average time from exposure to developing symptoms is five to six days, but can be up to two weeks. Tests have found high amounts of virus in the throats and noses of people a couple of days before they show symptoms.

Signs of virus also have been found in stool weeks after patients recover, but that doesn't mean it’s capable of causing illness, scientists warn.

"The virus can be degraded," said Robert Webster, a St. Jude Children's Research Center virus expert. "It's not necessarily infectious virus at all."

How deadly is it?

That won't be known until large studies are done to test big groups of people to see how many have been infected and with or without symptoms.

Scientists have estimated the fatality rate from less than 1% to as high as 4% among cases diagnosed so far, depending on location.

Flu kills about 0.1% of those it infects, so the new virus seems about 10 times more lethal, the National Institutes of Health's Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress last week.

The death rate has been higher among people with other health problems -- more than 10% for those with heart disease, for example. In the U.S., 30 million have diabetes, more than 70 million are obese and nearly 80 million have high blood pressure.

Can infected people who recover get it again?

It's not known. A few reports from China say some people had COVID-19, recovered and then fell ill again. It's unclear if that's a relapse, a new infection, or a case where the person never fully recovered in the first place.

Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle say the 30,000-letter genetic code of the virus changes by one letter every 15 days. It's not known how many of these changes would be needed for the virus to seem different enough to the immune system of someone who had a previous version of it for it to cause a fresh infection.

Fauci told Congress on Thursday that it was unlikely that someone could get reinfected.

“We haven’t formally proved it, but it is strongly likely that that’s the case,” he said. “Because if this acts like any other virus, once you recover, you won’t get reinfected.”

Will it go away in the summer?

Flu fades each spring and the new virus may do the same, Fauci said last week in a podcast with a journal editor.

"I am hoping that as we get into the warmer weather we will see a decline that will give us a chance to get our preparedness up to speed," Fauci said.

But that, too, is far from certain. “We have to assume that the virus will continue to have the capacity to spread, and it’s a false hope to say yes, it will just disappear in the summertime like influenza,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief.

Flu viruses also mutate quickly, requiring new vaccines to be made each year. If the coronavirus follows suit, Frieden said, "It could become a virus that circulates around the world for many years to come."

ecbound
  3/16/2020 10:25 EST

The 2% mortality rate isn't based on total # of cases, because they don't know the total number of cases. Therefore, it is not accurate and probably much lower. To get that number they used the number of cases that have been confirmed only.

ecbound
  3/16/2020 10:43 EST

The death rates and incidence rates are not reliable in either case. There is an article in one of the major medical journals, by Peter Doshi from Harvard to really makes clear the level or propaganda involved with the flu statistics. They even have conferences put on by the "vaccine expert," where they actually give phrases for doctors to use to encourage fear in their patients to get them to take the flu vaccine. In the year's flu data they studied to write this article, it was widely reported in the US that there 60,000 deaths that year from the flu. Upon looking into further, he found that they get those high numbers by lumping all pneumonia deaths in with the flu. They just ASSUME that anyone dying from pneumonia also has the flu, despite the fact that the flu is only the third cause of pneumonia.
The actuals numbers were that only about 2000 had the flu, and only something like 18 of them were tested for the flu. They have the audacity to report in the news 60,000 deaths from the flu, and there are only 18 confirmed cases!
If someone has the very common symptoms of the flu during the flu season, they are instructed to assume it's the flu. Not very scientific. And, if you couple that with the info in the article about these conferences where they lay out steps to mislead the public into being afraid of the flu to increase the numbers of flu vaccines, it's obvious that it nowhere near as lethal as they make it out to be.
Also, though I can't remember the details now, The Cochrane Report also investigated the issue and found similar results.

maradel
  3/16/2020 15:25 EST

COVID-19 is not an influenza virus. And if you're going to throw numbers out, please include references, so everyone knows how those numbers were derived and whether they are accurate.

maradel
  3/16/2020 15:29 EST

sorry, my last post was aimed at an old post by mchaves. Obviously irrelevant now.

lifelover
  3/16/2020 16:15 EST

This book was written in the 90’s.
Succinct.
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+coming+plague+book&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#wptab=s:H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLRT9c3rEwpN0u2LMx-xOjJLfDyxz1hKYdJa05eY7Ti4grOyC93zSvJLKkU0uFig7KUuASkUDRqMEjxcaGI8OxiEkq3csrPzwbh4Mq8_ILizOJVLEJKAuiCi1glSzJSFZLzczPz0hUKchLTS1MViktzcxOLKgFj8nhZogAAAA

lifelover
  3/16/2020 16:15 EST

This book was written in the 90’s.
Succinct.
https://www.google.com/search?q=the+coming+plague+book&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#wptab=s:H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLRT9c3rEwpN0u2LMx-xOjJLfDyxz1hKYdJa05eY7Ti4grOyC93zSvJLKkU0uFig7KUuASkUDRqMEjxcaGI8OxiEkq3csrPzwbh4Mq8_ILizOJVLEJKAuiCi1glSzJSFZLzczPz0hUKchLTS1MViktzcxOLKgFj8nhZogAAAA

rsetzer99
  3/17/2020 04:49 EST

I am rather dubious of accepting a gap of 60,000 flu deaths and 18 without hard, peer reviewed evidence from medical professionals. ---- As for the Covid death rate, I have seen mentioned by more than one prominent organization (Johns Hopkins, CDC, WHO, ect) that it is not possible to determine the true number until the contagion has run its course. One of the big reasons is that it is impossible to know how many are or have had the virus but recovered without being entered into any data bank. While this will still be true after, they will at least be able to be more accurate about what percentage of the population was affected when they can travel and collect data from individual locations. They admit that the current percentage given is their best guess based on comparison to prior events.

Peppone
  3/17/2020 10:44 EST

John,

Cogent observations indeed.
Write on!

Janeann
  3/20/2020 10:46 EST

I must say that I’m disappointed in this group for not providing the first-hand, on-the-ground info that you could be posting. Many of you are uniquely positioned to give us the word from the front. If some of you have, its buried in long threads of bickering.
(Thank you Nancy Hampton for your newsletter.)
I’ve been able to depend on FB posts by our Italian town’s administrator. Of course our travel plans for April are cancelled. We have isolated ourselves in Ohio. Airlines are still offering rebooking without a fee. For when? Im set to tackle that today. Good thing I’ve nothing else to do, I booked three separate flights. This is the year I planned to spend some time in Boston and then London on the way over. ??

Stellalebret
  3/24/2020 04:47 EST

Hi Segio,

I have private messaged you.

I have a small problem.

Grazie

Sergios
  3/26/2020 10:53 EST

Hello all. So we left Tuscany before the main progression of the covid-19 epidemic only to arrive in jersey city before the main progression of the disease. I seriously felt safer in Italy. Things here are not under control due to a failure to control the spread by the federal government. Testing is non existent and nobody knows the extent of the infection. Italy appear to be leveling off while events here are accelerating. We have been in self quarantine for two weeks and now we are free to enter the now closed city. Things are getting truly scary. Those of you who fail to take this seriously are doing it at your own risk and, more importantly you are risking those around you.
Please understand that the measures to prevent infection will do nothing to end the virus infection. Those measures are only there to prevent overwhelming the healthcare facilities. The only way this will end is when there is a sufficient percentage of the population that has become immune through infection. That appears to be about 70% . That is known as herd immunity and unless a vaccine comes on line soon, that is our only hope. What does that mean, it means that this is going to be the new normal for at least a year.
Stella, I did not get your pm. I asked admin to unsubscribe me from the French forum. Instead they totally cut me off. Try again.

Sergios
  3/26/2020 10:58 EST

One more thing, if you can't find sanitizer or rubbing alcohol or everclear, try going to the home center to buy alcohol fuel for alcohol lamps and heaters. You could also use sterno which is gelled alcohol

miki184
  3/26/2020 13:30 EST

Glad to hear you and your wife got back safe and sound! Stay safe and stay home as much as possible. You can see first had the mess NYC is going through. It seems it is easier to come in contact with the virus than they first thought. I've read about it actually staying on clothing and in the air for several hours. Be careful and think like you're back in the old country until the danger is over!

dave2018
  3/26/2020 15:53 EST

Just spoke with my wife's cousins in Le Marche and they are doing fine, just not too happy about being cooped up in their apartment most of the time. People are being stopped by police and ticketed if they don't have a valid reason to be out.

To Sergio: please don't blame the federal govt. for the infections in the U.S. You have a state govt. as well that imposes very high taxes that should have been more prepared. Moreover, half the infections in the U.S. are in NYC and most of the rest are in similar high population density areas. There are only a few cases in the county where we live. The only thing that irritates me is that everyone bought up all the toilet paper which to me is just bizarre. There's still plenty of food and other necessities, and as yet no travel restrictions in our area. We live in a county with about 70,000 residents near a town of 30,000 so not in the middle of nowhere but certainly not a high density large city.

Italy should have suspended travel and closed its border earlier like the U.S. did and the problem would not be so severe. My wife is appalled at what she's read about the situation with the hospitals in Italy and how ill-prepared they are, but she's also not surprised.

thefountain
  3/26/2020 16:43 EST

Hi dave2018.

I have family in Italy.i am curious what is making the hospitals not prepared. I hear conflicting info on the hospitals- some say how great they are and other they aren't prepared. I appreciate any info.
Stay safe.

foxwhite1
  3/26/2020 17:28 EST

Dave I agree with your assessment of NY and the less than stellar job they are doing. I live in a large urban center in Florida and there are tests available if one suspect they are infected. No country was prepared for the magnitude of this virus, some less than others. The time for analyst of what we could have done better will come, but for now, the best precaution is to follow the CDC guidelines. Sadly there are plenty of people who are not.

Sergios
  3/26/2020 19:11 EST

NY and it's governor are leading the nation in its response. The federal government had months of warning and did nothing including refusing the WHO offer for test kits. The response was and is idiotic including talk of opening the country by Easter. Easter when most of the country will be starting to peak. There is serious discussion that elderly people should be willing to give up their lives for the economy. Please don't talk to me about trump. I had no screening whatsoever when I returned to the USA. None. Nobody cared. Nobody knows how much infection there is because testing is not being done sufficiently. Doctors and nurses are reusing protective equipment including using garbage bags as protective clothing. Trump knew in January that this was coming. His intelligence services told him but instead of doing something for the nation he and his friends sold off stocks.

dave2018
  3/26/2020 19:23 EST

To theFountain:

It's really hit and miss with Italian healthcare, like most places I imagine. Like I posted before, my wife had a fantastic physician when we were in Puglia, as well as a great one where she's from in Veneto. Our hospital experience is limited, but her mother got good care when she had major surgery. My wife had hernia surgery about 20 years ago and it went well, although she wasn't happy with the accommodations - she was in a ward with 9 other patients with no privacy at all. Plus, you have to have someone take care of your non-medical needs when you are in the hospital in Italy, either a friend or relative or you must hire someone - there are people that do this for a living. I went to an ear, nose, and throat doctor about 10 years ago when we were there on vacation and got great treatment for an ear infection and only had to pay 50 euros. A friend of my brother-in-law told me many years ago that he had to wait almost 6 months for an MRI. One of my wife's cousins in Le Marche had an operation on her hand that she injured in a fall and the surgeon totally screwed it up. She ended up having to undergo 3 more operations and her hand and arm are still messed up. She actually sued the surgeon, but it's been over 7 years and still no resolution on that - if you think the U.S. justice system is slow then just try Italy's.

My wife hates our U.S. healthcare system because it is so costly and she hates dealing with the insurance companies. However, she also thinks the Italian healthcare system is not overall the best quality, and she suspects that there are many deaths lately because they are so unprepared and incompetent. Who knows?

glorirz
  3/26/2020 21:06 EST

Sergios,
Thank you for your on the ground assessment. The “nonbelievers” and greedy billionaires are threatening us all. We wish we were back in Italy too! My daughter is a doctor in a NYC hospital. I’m proud and freaked out!

dave2018
  3/26/2020 22:08 EST

To Sergios:

I understand your criticism now.

Blame Trump. Orange man bad.

Pure politics.

I get it.

Please leave the politics out of this coronavirus/healthcare discussion.

2amilano
  3/27/2020 01:21 EST

Sergios, Thank you for your postings. They are informative and accurate.

thefountain
  3/27/2020 09:09 EST

To dave2018,

Thank you for your response.
Yes it is hit or miss in the USA also. Where I live noone wants to go to the hospitals. My mother was killed by inefficiency of the doctors and staff in the hospital and they blamed it on their new computer system. i heard of so many deaths in the same hospital after mom's passing.
There is a website that shows the top doctors and hospitals across the USA so I go to that to pick my doctor. Does Italy have a website like this?
Stay well. I pray for everyone in Italy and everyone on this thread
Keep the usa in your prayers , so many people still are not taking this seriously.

dave2018
  3/27/2020 09:56 EST

To Maradel:

Please show where I brought politics into this discussion. You can't. Sergios brought politics into this first, I simply responded and asked him to keep politics out of it.

I did not suggest that it was not the federal govt.'s responsibility to prepare for and respond to pandemics. Please don't put words in my mouth. I simply said that States, remember that we are a union of States under a federalist system, also have a responsibility.

Why should I remove myself from this forum? What, simply because you say so? How about you remove yourself?

Can we please get back on topic?

Sergios
  3/27/2020 10:34 EST

Foxwhite, Florida has done a total of 28000 tests as of yesterday. New york is doing 18000 tests per day. Please check your information.

equitraveler
  3/27/2020 11:16 EST

In the US the response to the virus has been piecemeal, differing by state and sometimes even by county. In CO, one mountain county issued a stay at home order several weeks ago. Then over the weekend the County of Denver followed suit. The next day 5 surrounding counties issued their orders. Two days ago the Governor issued a statewide stay at home order to last until April 11. It is much less stringent than in Italy. Banks, grocery and liquor stores, pot shops, gas stations and other 'essential' businesses remain open. It is also possible to get take out or delivery food and alcohol. There are not enough masks, gowns, gloves, ventilators, doctors, nurses, or hospital beds. People are volunteering to sew cotton masks at home to extend the life of N95 masks. Many of the open stores have instituted 'senior hours' when only folks > 65 can shop. These are typically first thing in the morning right after shelves have been restocked and the store sanitized. People still walk their dogs and do other outdoor activities while physical distancing. We are prepping our vegetable garden. Stay healthy everyone!

foxwhite1
  3/27/2020 12:06 EST

Sergio,
It is not the number of tests conducted it is the number of tests conducted in relationship to the number of people with symptoms. As of today Florida has 1977 confirmed cases where NY has 30,800! 15 times more cases in NY yet only 4 times more tests!

codybrandy
  3/27/2020 13:11 EST

Ditto to Sergios!, Best wishes and stay safe in the US: vi aspettiamo!

maradel
  3/27/2020 17:06 EST

The response to a national emergency, or in this case, a world-wide emergency is the responsibility of the FEDERAL government. The response to a pandemic requires a planned, coordinated fact-based response. In fact, it is exactly that kind of response that led to control of MERS, SARS, Zika, ebola, and H1N1 BEFORE they spread to the US. If the USA had not taken responsible and decisive action, directed at the federal level, with those infectious diseases, they would have spread around the world and would have been far more devastating than COVID-19 is likely to be. But that was when the UNITED States of America was still capable of playing a leadership role on the world stage.

We are the UNITED States of America, one country. We are not the European Union, a loose federation of separate countries with uncoordinated responses to worldwide challenges. It is exactly those uncoordinated responses in Europe that have led to coronavirus spreading uncontrollably throughout this continent, leaving each individual country to fend for itself.
It is exactly the same kind of incompetent, uncoordinated response happening in the USA that is leading to uncontrolled spread of the virus and the devastating consequences of that for individuals and the economy as a whole.

Those are FACTS, not politics. It has only become political because political ideologies have superseded knowledge, information, reason, science, and facts in dealing with control of a pandemic that has the potential to cause millions of deaths and result in a worldwide economic depression that will result in further misery.

Sergios
  3/27/2020 21:09 EST

You don't confirm a case unless you test. Fewer tests, fewer confirmed cases.

foxwhite1
  3/28/2020 00:31 EST

Sergio you are incorrect! My daughter-in-law has the virus and it was confirmed by a discussion with the clinic over the phone and via tele-med. I would suspect her diagnosis is counted in the number of cases but since she is not in a high risk group and her symptoms were not getting worse she was not required to test. Obviously she was required to self-isolate along with her family and prescribed some med

And this is from the CDC:

"Does everyone really need to be tested?

Realistically, it isn't feasible to test everyone who is sick in the US. Therefore, most health officials believe it is important to prioritize the testing of people who need it the most: those at high risk such as health care workers who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients; symptomatic people in areas with high infection rates; and people 65 years of age and older with chronic health issues, such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes.

2amilano
  3/28/2020 01:14 EST

I am interested in Maradel's post. However, there have been some who have asked that we not be political and this could be considered political although I feel as Maradel said it is fact based to the current circumstances.

What I is unfortunate to see is someone being rude. It's ok to express the desire to stay away from 1 topic or another but it is not necessary to be cruel.

I have stepped away from this blog because of what I felt were xenophobic statements of some especially since many of us are immigrants ourselves. This will drive people away from what can be a useful kind opportunity to help one another.

Sergios
  3/28/2020 07:30 EST

Is it politics to point out that the bus driver is pointing the bus over the cliff or is it politics to stop someone from pointing this out because the discussion is about a bus driver that they love and they think can do no wrong. When it comes to our lives, my family's life, I'm not going to ignore facts and accept alternate facts because I don't want to offend friends of the incompetent bus driver. What is happening in the united states is a dangerous disgrace and people are going to die because the bus driver wants to keep his job over all other considerations.

foxwhite1
  3/28/2020 07:55 EST

What a load of crap...you have been watching too much CNN! NY is in the shape it is in because of decades of incompetent liberal governance. One of the highest taxed states, the epicenter of business and now it is all the Feds fault. That's rich! Maybe their sanctuary city concept and DeBlasio telling people to go out and mingle as late as March 2 does not look like such a good idea in hindsight?

The mayor tweeted March 2.

Quote: "Since I'm encouraging New Yorkers to go on with your lives + get out on the town despite Coronavirus, I thought I would offer some suggestions. Here's the first: thru Thurs 3/5 go see 'The Traitor' ... If 'The Wire' was a true story + set in Italy, it would be this film."

Same for goes for California. Keep your political views to yourself and I will gladly keep mine private, as they should be.

Sergios
  3/28/2020 08:59 EST

Like you just did? Perhaps the other contributors should speak up and express their opinion on where this discussion should go. If the majority feels I am wrong I will stop contributing. If however those of us who feel that speaking up, with facts, about the life threatening blunders that are happening, then will foxwhite and Dave agree to the same
This forum is too important to just stop.

foxwhite1
  3/28/2020 09:40 EST

FACTS? And who's interpretation of the FACTs do we believe. Those printed by the NYTs, the paper that gave us the Russian dossier hoax, which resulted in a two-year investigation costing tens of millions, Or CNN, the media outlet that pushed the Ukrainian phone call episode/impeachment that went into January while the virus was beginning to spread. How about the media outlets that facilitated SOS Clinton's and Rices ever-changing story about Benghazi! How about the lies perpetuated by the Obama administration about Obamacare? The reality in this world today is there are no reliable sources of FACT, just results. And the results of how well the US does will not be known for some time. Sergio, this is not some popularity contest where so many votes for your version or Dave's, and therefore that will give validity to whatever it is you claim to know. What is a fact is that no president in modern times has endured so much antipathy from the democrats and media bias while trying to govern our country. And by almost all metrics which count, he has done a pretty good job as far as the economy and the safety of our people is concerned. Is he crude, sometimes rude for sure! Is he blunt, arrogant, ditto! But at a time of crisis, the left, including some democratic governors and members of Congress, still cannot help themselves from putting party before country. There are far too many people in this country today who hate TRUMP more than they love this country...This is my last post on this topic, you can go forward and be the resident expert, and when this is behind us, I think you have a future at CNN!

2amilano
  3/28/2020 09:50 EST

Sergios, Thank you for speaking up. Your posts have been helpful and recognized as fact based, often with links to useful information. Please stay with us.

I don't often post but at this point it's important to say something. Bullying at any age is not attractive.
Those that feel it's necessary to call something "horsecrap" and tell others "no one wants to hear your opinion". Should really stop.

This is not what this forum was meant to be. Let's try to stay civil or this useful tool will loose it's ability to help. Certainly we are in a time when helping each other is a good goal. No one is going to navigate this on our alone.

dave2018
  3/28/2020 10:20 EST

I agree with 2amilano's last post.

In a crisis like this people are worried and stressed, and it is inevitable that many will try to blame someone for what has happened. No govt. or hospital in the world could be fully prepared for something like this. It happened so fast and was unexpected. Some countries are better prepared than others, but no country is immune from the effects of this virus.

What I don't like to see is folks blaming the current administration and making this a political issue. The federal govt. is doing the best it can with what resources and systems it had when this started, and from reports that I read it is rapidly increasing its response. I'm sure the govt. in Italy is doing the same thing.

Just spoke with relatives in Veneto and they are doing well. They're not happy about the travel restrictions but are coping. They are seeing the same hoarding of toilet paper as we have here in the U.S., but food is still plentiful.

I am confident that this crisis will be all but over within a few months as long as folks practice the distancing, self quarantine, going out less, and good hygiene.

maradel
  3/28/2020 10:26 EST

Foxwhite1, OK now we know exactly where you're coming from and you've made the most politically biased comment of anyone in this forum.

As Sergios indicated, all I did was point out the obvious. The coronavirus pandemic has been handled incredibly incompetently in this country and elsewhere. It is shameful because until the last 3 or so years, the USA had the most experienced teams of infectious disease experts in the WORLD. The USA preparedness was built over several administrations. These people had comprehensive plans in place for just this kind of situation. It was not a political effort. It was an effort based on the understanding that a pandemic would be a threat to our national security, our economy and the health and well being of US citizens. That is NOT conjecture or political. It is a historical FACT.

Pretending that facts don't exist means that you can't learn from them. As the saying goes, if you don't learn from history, you will be doomed to repeat it. If we don't learn from this pandemic, there are plenty of other viruses waiting in the wings to clobber us again and again, until H. sapiens either disappears or learns.

That is the value of pointing out failures.

equitraveler
  3/28/2020 10:29 EST

Thank you 2amilano, and Sergios.

Sergios
  3/28/2020 10:35 EST

As of two weeks ago when I reentered the USA, the current administration was still downplaying the pandemic, and they are still downplaying the pandemic with statements like america should reopen for easter and that the elderly should be willing to die for the economy. With statements like "i don't believe NY needs that many ventilators", Like blaming the media for wanting to hurt his campaign for reelection. He is the only one speaking about reelection with respect to covid-19. He is making this about his reelection and politics. I am just reporting what I see on the ground in the belly of the beast. The USA is now the leading country with respect to coronavirus infections. We are number one with covid cases and with far too few tests being done. It was just a month ago that "we had 15 cases that would soon go to zero". "that the virus will magically disappear with the coming warm weather", I am pointing out gross, life endangering incompetence. That is not politics. That is presenting facts.

codybrandy
  3/28/2020 10:46 EST

I'll speak up Sergios: sometimes the bus driver needs to consult his training manual and confer with his superiors to improve his service (since he can't be fired...yet) I for one am impressed with how the Italian government on the whole is handling a situation that no one expected and how the small communities are pulling together to conform to regs and help their neighbors...I can only speak for my village in Liguria. On the other hand, my son in Massachusetts is fearful the states are lagging far behind and should take a lesson from Italy and China in more forceful lockdowns.

Umbertomar
  3/28/2020 10:52 EST

Here is a link to Coronavirus. data by geography in Italy with some commentary.
https://www.torresantantonio.it/list/coronavirus-news/

equitraveler
  3/28/2020 11:48 EST

A recent post from a friend in Prov. D'Asti.:

Quanto e' strana la vita: avevama le persone, ma non avevama il tempo! Ora abbiamo il tempo, ma ci mancano le persone!

guestuser
  3/28/2020 11:56 EST

I haven't commented on this discussion because the one thing I've learned during these past four years is that no one is going to change anyone's mind regardless of whatever the "facts" might be whenever politics is introduced into the discussion. That is where we have landed and it's a shame. Every administration that has faced devastating events in the U.S. during their term(s) has made both bad and good decisions. There's a lot of fodder there to argue over.

I read the news from multiple sources every day and I know that much of the good that the federal government did, is and has been doing is being buried and instead most of the news focuses solely on what has gone wrong. Without a doubt, there is a lot of misinformation out there coming from both sides and I also know that some, not all, of the claims made here are just not true.

Nonetheless, I say stop bickering folks! Take care of yourself, your family, your community as best you can and pay attention not only to what the federal government is doing but also to what local and state leaders are doing because they have a huge impact on this situation. If you want to make changes, become active in your community/state politics. Arguing on this forum isn't going to change anything.

But if folks want to point fingers and play the "blame game" on this forum over things that may or may not be true, and people get twisted up enough to lob insults at each other, go for it but don't expect me to participate. It's fruitless and doesn't move anything forward.

dave2018
  3/28/2020 12:15 EST

Thanks, JacksterJam, I couldn't agree more.

I realize that I will never win the argument with folks who have a political agenda no matter how many facts I throw out there, nevertheless I waste my efforts trying anyway.

Thanks for reminding me of this.

Dave

MrsVannelli
  3/28/2020 12:21 EST

Umbertomar thank you for posting this link. I found the information really helpful!

MrsVannelli
  3/28/2020 12:21 EST

Umbertomar thank you for posting this link. I found the information really helpful!

glorirz
  3/28/2020 13:22 EST

I’ve been quietly watching and reading these posts.
I’m exhausted reading and listening to news, so I’m self limiting to just what is essential. I’ve avoided adding my two cents here as well because of the nasty political insults. My daughter is a doctor in NYC, so this is very personal. I’m terrified for her safety. I’m in California in a community whose county health department took very quick measures to shut us down, even before our governor. As a result, or rate of infection is 50% of the average in the nation. Quick action is helping to protect us.
Sergio’s comments about our president’s statements are quoted from live speeches he has been giving. They aren’t political skewing of facts. Even Republican governors are disputing his recommendations. We don’t have to agree on politics, but we can act from our higher selves during this challenging time. It’s stressful for everyone, and stress can bring out impatience and aggression. I’m seeing it on our empty highways— more aggressive driving.
So, regardless of your “camp” please do your best to self isolate, take care of friends and neighbors, and help me bring my daughter and her colleagues out of this alive. Our medical personnel are putting their lives on the line for you.

miki184
  3/29/2020 13:49 EST

Amen, Sergio! Thank you very much :-)

miki184
  3/29/2020 14:07 EST

I don't read this forum daily so excuse me if I seem to repeat myself as I am responding to indiviual posts as I read them from the bottom.

I'm sorry for Foxwhite but I totally agree with Sergio. Unfortunately not to look at the political situation in the States (which could eventually effect the rest of the world when everyone opens their borders) is putting your head in the sand which is exactly what was done in the beginning. Do you remember someone saying 'like a miracle could disappear' or it was a democratic hoax? (if not: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTjTaR748eg )
Sorry I'm not trying to be political, just make those who still hold an American passport what is going on in their country, just in case they need to return as Sergio and his wife did. You never know but you should stay informed and read, watch multiple sources of information!

And if this kind of talk has once again been banned, excuse me because I haven't read all the posts yet :-/

ericl4750
  3/29/2020 15:11 EST

I am a relatively new member but have followed many posts. As much as I wish politics were kept out of this global crisis, it just seems people cannot help themselves. Allow me to be a contrarian. Trump has been in office less than four years, during that time there has not been one health crisis even coming close to covid 19, yet so many on here blame him for lack of equipment, lack of tests, etc. On the other hand, Obama was in office for eight years, and during that time, we had Ebola and H1N1, and I believe another health scare. Why didn't the Obama administration replenish any supplies, and if they did, clearly they were not enough to meet this emergency as Trump has stated. I read the U.S. federal stockpile of N95 protective face masks was largely depleted during the 2009 swine flu outbreak and was not restocked. So the question begs to be answered, would any sitting president have been any more prepared? Particularly one who has been under constant pressure by the democrats to remove him from office and thwart him at every move. I think the honest answer is no; they would not. From my readings of multiple news sites from around the world, very few if any major leader was prepared for this pandemic and most have stumbled in their response. Even as I write this Sweden is still in denial, with their relaxed cornoavirus approach. I have to agree with one posters remarks that there are people in the US and perhaps on this site who find nothing good to say about Trump no matter what he does. Even his early ban on Chinese travel solicited condemnation from the left, the media and other world leaders. However that decision has shown to be prescient, as more and more countries have done the same. Many health experts have indicated that the number of infected would be much greater if that has not taken place. Just some food for thought! Stay safe, we are all in this together and there will be plenty of time afterwards to assess shortcomings.

Sergios
  3/29/2020 16:24 EST

Please stop. There is a wealth of places that we can get misinformed.. This should not be one of them. Everybody stop. Just facts please.

dave2018
  3/29/2020 16:54 EST

To Sergios:

Says the guy who injected his political views into this discussion.

Are you kidding?

I agree with you, however, that the political commentary in this discussion needs to stop.

There are many forums and Twitter where one can express their political opinions to their heart's content.

Dave

Sergios
  3/29/2020 17:05 EST

Those were not my political views Dave, they were my observations on the ground. You objected politically. There is a difference.

rsetzer99
  3/30/2020 04:22 EST

I have a sister in law who is a nurse in the US. One of things they are all terrified of happening, and they admit it is going to happen, is when Covid starts going through nursing homes. The US has large numbers them. Italy, not nearly so many. The nursing homes are privately run and so very very often have low paid, minimally trained staff.

Sergios
  3/30/2020 08:15 EST

One of the reasons we came back to the USA was to see my 94 year old mother. We have not been able to see her yet because we needed to self quarantine. She was admitted to the hospital yesterday. At this point I don't know what is happening or if she is infected but I am fairly certain that given the rate of infection and that hospitals are a crucible for this virus, she probably will be infected if she isn't yet. I have many emotions going on right now. However, one emotion I have is rage because when I recieved the call about my mother I was reading tweets by the president of the United States bragging about his briefing ratings being better than the Bachelor. Bragging!

thefountain
  3/30/2020 08:18 EST

Sergio's

Prayers for your mom and stay in america.

ericl4750
  3/30/2020 09:11 EST

Very nicely put Dave! Sergio, apparently the resident expert on all things should be the sole arbiter of what is factual and what is bias.

Cosmopolitan
  3/30/2020 09:18 EST

As if anyone needed more proof than was already more than clear and obvious even before the 2016 election. The dictionary has run out of words to describe someone like this.
Bless you, Sergio, a voice of reason in more than one way, including tirelessly helping with clear and precise information over the years.
I wish you and yours well!

Cosmopolitan
  3/30/2020 09:18 EST

As if anyone needed more proof than was already more than clear and obvious even before the 2016 election. The dictionary has run out of words to describe someone like this.
Bless you, Sergio, a voice of reason in more than one way, including tirelessly helping with clear and precise information over the years.
I wish you and yours well!

Italmio
  3/30/2020 09:44 EST

Sergio sorry for your mother and hope she stays well. However, just imagine all those who support the President how outraged they are when on a daily basis, since he was elected he and his family have been called the most disgusting names. Just last week some personality wished his wife and son would come down with the virus. Nancy Pelosi says he has blood on his hands and on and on.

This is what many Americans heard members of Congress say: Oh, my God, we could run out of ventilators. Oh, my God, people could die. Then the Democrats said, Quick, let’s give money to the Kennedy Center and the post office. Let's hold up a stimulus package so we can put more pork in it plus the following:

— New tax credits for solar and wind energy.

— Increased collective bargaining and other sops for labor.

— Required same-day voter registration and early voting.

— Publication of corporate pay statistics and race statistics for all corporate boards.

— $300 million apiece for the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment of the Humanities.

— $35 million for the John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The above ARE facts and can be found by reading the draft of the Pelosi bill. And yet you want to talk outrage because we have a president who his entire life has never had a filter on what he says!

2amilano
  3/30/2020 09:52 EST

I'm quitting this forum.

Cosmopolitan
  3/30/2020 10:11 EST

Ok, but why the need to announce it to the world?

Sergios
  3/30/2020 10:22 EST

2amilano, thank you for your past support and I am sorry to see you go. However, I feel the same way you do. As the coronavirus has infected the world, it also has infected this forum. There are many good people contributing good information and the forum has helped many, including me. On facebook I systematically block those that consider facts to be what they want them to be rather than what they are. People that are so righteous in there malevolent ignorance and their worship of the cretan God that they can no longer reason. Those few people have infected this forum and made it an unwelcoming place to be. So, like you, I will be leaving as well. Good luck all with this coming crisis. I say this coming because it has not yet shown it's full fury.

maradel
  3/30/2020 10:51 EST

I am so sorry about your mother, Sergios. I'm also sorry that you're leaving the forum. I share your rage, in my case maybe outrage.

I fear that the rancor and intentional ignorance that have exploded in the US are far more toxic and damaging, in many ways, than coronavirus.

Please stay well, and thank you for all the help you have provided through this forum in better times.

francinecasalinolaura
  3/30/2020 11:48 EST

Sending prayers to you & your family.

My heart goes out to you,
Francesca

glorirz
  3/30/2020 11:56 EST

Sergios, my heart goes out to you. I’m blessed to be able to talk to my mom through her apartment glass door. (This is now a blessing?) She lives in an assisted living apartment that is on lockdown.
Saying prayers. Saying other prayers about our fearless fool.

glorirz
  3/31/2020 00:58 EST

Sergios, I too am about through with this forum. I’ve appreciated your insight, and contributions. Unfortunately this political conflict has also infected a Facebook group that I joined. It’s disturbing to see that clear information, facts and science have no impact on some belief systems. Maybe only the dead will be convincing. Stay safe.

glorirz
  3/31/2020 00:58 EST

Sergios, I too am about through with this forum. I’ve appreciated your insight, and contributions. Unfortunately this political conflict has also infected a Facebook group that I joined. It’s disturbing to see that clear information, facts and science have no impact on some belief systems. Maybe only the dead will be convincing. Stay safe.

rsetzer99
  3/31/2020 03:42 EST

Why announce it to the world? I imagine for the same reason as I am. a final protest over what has descended into warring camps. Eventually it is the end of all non moderated forums.

Stellalebret
  3/31/2020 16:24 EST

please don't go sergio. you are amazing

LaPatria
  4/1/2020 11:14 EST

Being new to the forum, I can only say how disappointed I am in seeing a number of people deciding that they will no longer participate. To make matters worse, as is usual in these forums, it's always the most informed and helpful ones to go. Politics, from the onset, has always been a divisive institution driving people apart. Someone wins and some loses. Power, influence, money and fame are the prizes for those who master it.
Rather than watch this forum wither to death, is it possible for like minded people to just ignore a thread once it's been hijacked by politicians? Why let them win. So I will respectfully ask those who have stated their intentions to leave (if they're still around to read this) to reconsider. There are many of us who appreciate what you brought to this forum.
To Sergios in particular, I wish you and your family peace in these most difficult times. My prayers go out to your mom. I am currently living in NY so, if there is anything I can do for you, please feel free to send me a private message.

glorirz
  4/1/2020 21:13 EST

La Patria,
Thank you for your message. I’m one considering leaving, but your idea is good. Let’s see what happens. Stay safe in NYC!!!

Maria222
  4/1/2020 21:40 EST

Sergio, I’ve been following for roughly 4 years now. Please don’t leave. You are not only a bevy of info, you are an amazing person.

Maria ??

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