Day 32 Lockdown Codiponte...
Officially, a day over a month of Lockdown. Day 56 for me. Just saying. Read on to perceive my mood…
Weather continues to be sunny, warm… overly dry, damn-it and causing me to water the garden here at il Poggiolo every darn day of Lockdown… and breezy. But, HELL, it IS Spring! And yet, there is this lovely soft, fragrant scent to the air at dusk. Like it’s been sunny, warm… overly dry… and breezy. So much for the current forecast.
I don’t really have much to say. Oh, yes…
one thing is the silence we are all experiencing here in our back-of-beyond posting. I hear only the breeze and birds chirping. There are moments when I hear NOTHING! What a luxury. Occasionally however, and usually right before la pausa pranzo, music from a loud-speaker comes around the corner of il Poggiolo blasting from one of the houses down in the Codiponte Flood Plain. I know who too. A young man with the intelligence and tendencies of a 3 year old is the responsible person. Or, so I was told by a neighbor I had spotted her working with her chickens. We kept about 12 feet apart. I was without a mask and so was she. No gloves for either of us too. Thus, the overly cautious Social Distance. I got what little news was about. In fact, the disturbing-our-silence music was the only bit the neighbor could offer me. It’s tough. Kind of enforces one’s sense of loneliness and isolation. No truck or car traffic from the SR 445, no noises of people talking at/over the din of their machinery working the land or, no airplane traffic overhead. I can provide a screen shot taken from flightradar24.com just 3 seconds ago. Please note: in the left hand photo, the blue dot marks My Spot in Codiponte, Lunigiana, Tuscany and look! No airplanes, and…
in the left-hand photo is Dottore You at his command post in hospital and sporting his Coronavirus protective gear. This modest selfie ought to satisfy any curiosity of what an Italian doctor looks like who is battling in prima linea this COVID-19 with his very own gloved doctor’s hands and other…? Other…? Other doctor’s defences. And yes, yes, a thousand times, yes, we all know his interior mask ought to also cover his nose. However, he had just gotten off the telephone before this photo-op. One which made me very, very nervous… no, sorry, EXTREMELY NERVOUS, WORRIED, AND UPSET although I have know this Truth for the last 56 days. That expressed and explained, try this… pinch your nose while talking and see if anyone will understand you.
I am going to sign off for now. I seem to be on a Lockdown rhythm of one Day Yes! and the next a Day No! Guess which one I am having today?
Coronavirus in Italy...
Coronavirus, which got its start in Wuhan, China from human contact with an infected animal at a food market in the city, arrived in Italy last week. About 20 other countries had visitations at the same moment. The few Italian cases quadrupled in 24 hours. By mid-weekend, the cases had quadrupled again along with announcements of deaths from the infection. Worrying. The World’s attention turned upon Italy.
The majority were in two outlying provinces of Milan but, not in the city of millions. The Lombardy Region decided to put the two provinces in a lock-down: can’t get in, can’t get out. The World riveted its attention ONLY on Italy. The thinking of the Italian authority was… had the Chinese government sought to contain the virus’s spread from the first cases with a similar lock-down… an easily identifiable strain of the same SARS virus… a global scare of contagion might have been avoided. The attempt to contain the virus’s spread to more populated areas of Northern Italy was much publicised on the TV, radio and Internet. The last went viral.
We now have two rampant and insidious viruses.
One is an illness which threatens primarily… old people, sufferers from lung diseases, individuals pre-disposed to lung illnesses or, those who have issues with their immune systems.
The other is the viral dissemination of mis-information about Coronavirus. Its consequences may destroy people’s livelihoods and well-being, a country’s economy… I’m talking Italy but this applies to any country effected by the Coronavirus effect… and long after the virus has taken its course and petered out.
Coronavirus or, COVID-19, the name of this particular virus is… is a common virus which causes an infection in your sinuses or, upper throat. Symptoms of fever, coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath may occur as the illness develops strength or, descends into the respiratory tract. Deteriorate may lead to pneumonia and possible death.
400,000 people die each year from the flu. So far the death toll from Coronavirus is less about 3,500. If that.
There is no vaccine nor are antibiotics effective. As soon as symptoms are noticed, the best treatments are those for the common cold or, flu: plenty of rest, drink fluids, take aspirin for fever, use disposable tissues for sneezing or, clearing sinuses… don’t forget to wash your hands too… and restrict contact with others until the symptoms pass. Stay calm.
My information comes from my partner of 21 years, You, who is a doctor and a head of the ophthalmology department of a major Italian hospital. He completed his entire medical training at 24 years of age. Residency included, guys. He worked as a general practitioner and surgeon for 5 years before returning to medical school to specialised in ophthalmology treatments and surgery. He has worked for the Italian health scheme and in his own private practise for 40 years. I rest with his experience, knowledge and Good Sense which is what you have just read.
Outside an Italian supermarket…
P.S. China has 5 billion people. 80,000 have been infected by Coronavirus and deaths have been less than 3,000. Do the Math to put all this into perspective, if the Truth of the disease doesn’t work.