From Italy with Love: An American in the center of COVID-19

I posted a message on my Facebook page the other day after receiving dozens of messages from my loved ones about the health and safety of my Daughter and me, living here in Italy. This is what I told them, and what I want to share with you.

My Dearest Family & Friends,

Thank you all for checking up on us. We are well, safe and healthy in our home in Italy.

I know you all are worried about us here. But our Italian government is now taking extraordinary and necessary measures to mitigate and prevent further spread of this coronavirus. It may get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. Every citizen, resident and visitor has access to free testing, quarantine/isolation support and treatment for COVID-19. We are all on lockdown. We can only go to the market or pharmacy (whom also offers delivery services) and you can only move about for work or emergency reasons. The government has suggested nationwide work from home and homeschooling measures as well. Being restricted like this seems bad and worrisome, but this change in lifestyle is a small and temporary sacrifice, and is in fact the best and smartest thing a government could do to protect its people. Our children have been out of school since March 4 and their foreseeable return is April 3, although I am certain closures will be extended. I have an American friend who's living in Spain with her two children, and her husband plays basketball there. They just implemented school closures, suspensions of sporting and large gathering activities, as well as a lockdown as well. For most of Europe and Australia, I believe, the closure of mass gathering spaces is just the basic and first line of defense.

So my Girl and I have been indoors, staying safe and sane, doing some educational lessons here and there and lots of playtime. I've been trying to make it an adventure, a big indoor party or something, that allows her to see this time inside as a welcomed interruption to her routine, while I know it's anything but. I've had to explain to my 3-year old, what's going on, showing animated videos on viruses. She wants to go to school. I told her it was closed. She asked about the playground. I told her it was closed too, to which she replied, "But playgrounds don't have doors!" Indeed. I pulled up Facebook images posted by our town's administration, showing the guards who are standing watch at most major sections and all entry portals of the city as checkpoints. I told her, if we go, the police officers will tell us to go home. She hung her head low, a little saddened, having been indoors for about 10 days now.

She has now demanded a desk in my home office, along with space on my idea-wall, a computer and a "t-board" (keyboard). After vowing fierce loyalty to Netflix, I subscribed to Disney+ and it's been awesome! I'm catching up on my Marvel too. So overall, we're okay. We're following the rules, staying inside, cooperating with protocols, living civically and as content as we can. All of us are.

Understand that life will change for you too.

I am not writing to cause a panic, but I do want to jolt you into an about-face, so that you can open your eyes and ears to what is imminent for the United States. It hasn't hit you yet, like it's hit Italy, so it doesn't seem like a big deal. It didn't seem all that urgent to us at first, either. The US government isn't sharing much information on the seriousness of this virus, and ways to protect yourself. All I'm saying is that awareness and accurate, timely information can be preventative measures for the public. I want to emphasize two things in this letter: First, I want to stress the velocity of the transmission of this virus and who it affects the most. Second, I want to share how to face the future. America, learn from us and China. Here's a timeline of events here in Italy, from my experience and how it has affected me:

• MARCH 4 - On this day, I was sitting in a meet up when I read the news via Whatsapp from my local mom-group (we're the first to know everything, you know). First of all, only four days prior, February 28, three total cases had been reported. Now, hundreds of cases and couple dozen deaths. As a result, the government decreed all schools and universities closed until March 15.
• AROUND MARCH 8 - Positive cases soared into the thousands, and the death toll entered the hundreds. An updated decree declared not only would schools and universities remain closed, but all church worship, wedding, funeral, sport and any other places of mass gatherings would be suspended until April 3. At the time of the updated decree, restaurants, cafe's, bar's, and other businesses and public service spaces remained opened, but were mandated to only allow a certain number of people inside its establishments at one time; and for those permitted inside, each person had to stand at least one meter from other people, including the cashiers, waitstaff and other such employees. Imagine sitting in a restaurant, and your server taking your order standing four feet away!
• AROUND MARCH 10 - But just a few days after that, the government closed the borders around north Italy prohibiting all travel to the rest of Italy and Europe, and all unnecessary inter-municipal movement. They also required all restaurants, bars, clothing shops and other stores to close its doors to the public; offering only delivery services if the owner wanted to continue to operate. At this point, the only establishments open are fuel stations, supermarkets and pharmacies.

As of today, March 14, the death toll in Italy is nearly 1200 souls. The velocity of the transmission cannot be ignored. It is exponential. It seems almost simultaneous that when Italy began to understand this virus' rapid movement, the entire country went into lockdown within a two-week period. The first recorded case in Italy was January 31. The second two cases were February 28. Two weeks after that, Italy confirmed just over 17-thousand cases, the most outside of China. Other European countries have inclining case numbers, and death tolls as well. The US: there have been about 3,000 cases that we know of and about 50 deaths... all within a week's time. I'm not saying that you should live in fear. But I am saying you should take to heart that this virus can't be and hasn't been restricted by your "borders". It can swim, fly, walk and run right into your neighborhood, and it has. I'm not a conspiracy theorist (about this). I'm just looking at the numbers with a basic understanding of how viruses move.

The grocery store is just a few meters from our home. But I took a longer route on our morning walk to the market, so that my Girl could jump, run around a bit and enjoy the fresh air.

Here in Italy, families of the deceased can't hold funerals. Church mass has been cancelled, even the Vatican. I can't take my Girl to the toy store. Only six people can enter the supermarket at a time. Serenades, music, rambunctious laughter and hoards of carefree Italians, families, teens, children and tourists walking our cobblestone roads are no longer. But overall I feel safe... safer than I would in the US simply because we have transparency from the government and integrity in our healthcare system. We have access to healthcare if we need it, now and always. If we were in the United States, I'm sure healthcare is something I would be worried about. One of my cousins messaged me, concerned, asking if I wanted to come home, to the US. I told her, I am home. I chose Italy. My Girl was born here. I have grown here and I love the people here. It hasn't been easy, but I trust my life here. In good times and bad, Italy is our home. This has indeed been a dark time for Italy, and the world. But we'll get through it. I'm not the only one who feels safer in a place other than The United States.

To underscore the uniqueness of this virus from my perspective, I have been traveling to and visiting Italy for 16 years, living here for seven, and I have never seen the grounds of the Trevi Fountain, the Vatican's Bernini Arms, the Pantheon and the Coliseum void of tourists. Never. I mean completely ghost town. So this tells you that not only have tourists fled but that locals are heeding government's decrees and staying indoors. It's a strange and lonely sight, because if there is any place that never stops, it's Rome. At the same time it's reassuring that people can indeed come together, even by staying apart, to stave this virus. To win. It sounds bleak, but we're hopeful. This will pass. Just look at the community of resilient Italians, required to stay home, singing on their balconies. This is the strength of the Italian people. You can learn from our mistakes, but you can also learn from our civic orderliness and our spirit of resilience. Rome wasn't built in a day and it won't falter.

You should be concerned. Very concerned.

Now, We the People, as in Americans who are living here in Italy, Spain, France and other parts of Europe are, however, more concerned about you all in the States, because there has been a cluster of panic-driven, erroneous and sensational (social) media reports. I've also seen reports on the contrary saying COVID-19 isn't a big deal. I've seen Facebook and IG stories of careless, irresponsible behavior from citizens mocking the coronavirus with the corona beverage. *deep sigh* You've been essentially in the dark about COVID-19, what’s really going on, who has it and what to do. Make no mistake, it is far worse in this very moment in the United States than the minimal cases being reported by the media and government. I say this so you can smarten up, because you’re kinda out there alone. I have read credible reports of relaxed screening by the TSA at travel checkpoints, limited testing in cities where people have legitimate symptoms and history of travel to advisory-listed countries, mandates from the White House to classify official information and uncertainty regarding work, school, daycare and treatment... and I’m sorry for that. I understand the concern for us. Families are losing their elderly members here in Italy in harrowing numbers. But we are concerned about you.

Maybe this information can help you.

Let me tell you why things got bad here in Italy. There are multiple contributing factors, but in my opinion, there are four underlining: (1) This virus is novel, or new, both like and unlike the flu and thus scientists and health professionals are figuring out how to combat the illness; (2) Italy has one of the largest tourism industries in the world making transmission rapid and widespread; (3) Italy has a very large population of elderly citizens, second only to Japan, whom the virus is affecting the most. The combination of mass tourism and active elderly people is a recipe for disaster at its onset. (4) Italy didn’t immediately heed warnings to isolate, track the movements of those early patients and take preventive measures... however the warnings and the immediate-- seemingly overnight-- spread happened simultaneously, so there was no fighting chance. It's also important to note that Italy is a culture of touch, romance and physical displays of affection. It's a way of life. We speak with our hands and greet each other with two kisses on the cheek. So all of this added up together was our downfall.

The United States isn't exempt. We're a cocky culture... it's the American way. I can say it because I'm American. "We're the richest, we're the safest..." etc etc. It's not true. With COVID-19, it's not any safer in the US than any other part of the world, and yet that is the indirect tone and narrative of the leadership and the people there.

It's concerning that there has been limited testing in the United States. It's even more concerning to see how healthcare will be managed for the thousands who may be affected by this virus, because of how the healthcare system is set up in the U.S. It's not universal, and it's not free. How will the livelihood of millions continue on, when everything else has come to a stop?

How to face the future.

Stay inside if you can, please! How long? Until you hear some narrative of relief from WHO and further reassurance from your government about the status of the virus where you are. These are some basic tips, and what has been put in place for us in Italy: If you must go out, only one person from the house should go out, and when you go out, keep your distance from others. The only way to get sick, is to come into contact with a sick person. Close proximity to other people is the cause of spread. Six feet! Also note that the most contagious people are asymptomatic. You can't tell by looking, that a person has it. Children can have it, but it may not affect them as badly as it would their grandparents-- so watch the interaction between younger ones and older ones. If you don't touch a sick person, you can possibly touch something that they've touched. This is why hand-washing OFTEN, and avoiding touching your face is so important. Wear gloves even, and touch common public surfaces with an object (ATM, debit card keypad, doorknobs, etc). If you feel you have symptoms, do not go to the emergency room, because people are already there sick or ailed and it can be a breeding ground for spread. Instead call your doctor or any designated help line and work with them on what to do next. I told my father to avoid the VA at all costs; and to instead call our cousin who is a physician should he need anything. It both helps the hospital system manage this influx of care that will be needed, but also reduces the chance of spreading the virus to others, or contracting from others. Optimistically, if you’re younger and healthy (under 65), isolation, rest and OTC meds can aid you back to health. If you’re over 65, and experience an unusual fever, call your doctor immediately, but stay isolated. Avoid large gatherings. Keep your hands off your face, wash often, keep your hands off commonly used surfaces. If you don't have to go out, stay inside. Check out this article with a girl who got it from going to a house party, was shortly after diagnosed with COVID-19 and was able to recover by staying home.

Victuals, Supplies, Civic Order and Faith

Yes, stock your home, but don’t panic. Stop fighting over toilet paper. Stay calm. Carry on civically. One thing I can appreciate about the Italian people is the civic order and respect for its community. There haven't been riots and fights and that's because it's stupid. Purchase what you can carry. Buy what you need. And go back later if you want to work on storing up. But understand that other people need things too. Don't have an "every man for himself" mentality. You can't survive or thrive that way. And in my estimation, there won't be shortages of supplies in your local stores. It's not doomsday. Again, CALM. DOWN. And last but not least, I believe Jesus is real. God is with us. Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. I'm here for the supernatural and all that God can do. But practice common sense. Limit, better yet, eliminate your gatherings for now and follow all of the protocols your public health officials are giving you. Stay home.

Vigilance, social distance and calm is key. Throw lots of prayer and faith-building in there too.

We’re praying for you. Thank you for praying for us. Stay safe loved ones. ????

~from Italy with Love, Victoria