You. I’m talking to you reading this. You’re the one who’s taking this situation lightly, no? By still going out with your friends, acting as if everything is alright, partying, eating out in restaurants…the list is endless. While I thought I could do the same as well, the situation in Italy has scared me the most. The COVID-19 has spread rapidly, causing a grave amount of deaths and infecting hundreds of people each day.
An Italian man took to alarm everyone by saying, “To the rest of the world, you have no idea what’s coming”
If you’e still hanging with friends, going to restaurants/bars, and acting like this isn’t a big deal, get your shit together.
The following thread is taken from an Italian citizen.
As they put it:
“To the rest of the world, you have no idea what’s coming.”
MUST READ👇
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
He speaks about how Italy is on quarantine. The country never suspected this and underestimated the intensity of the situation.
As I think everybody knows, Italy is on quarantine because of the coronavirus outbreak.
This situation is bad, but what’s worse is seeing the rest of the world behaving as if it isn’t going to happen to them.
We know what you’re thinking because we were in your place too.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Stage 1: Denial: “It will never happen to me”
Let’s see how things developed…
🟢 STAGE 1:
You know that coronavirus exists, and the first cases begin to appear in your country.
Well, nothing to worry about, it’s just a bad flu!
I’m not 75+yo so what could possibly happen to me?
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 1 (cont’d):
I’m safe, everybody is overreacting, what’s the need to go out with masks and stock toilet paper?
I’m going to live my life as usual, there’s no need to freak out.
🔵 STAGE 2. The number of cases begins to be significant.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Stage 2: Sudden Surge In Coronavirus Cases
STAGE 2 (cont’d):
They declare “red zone” and quarantine one or two small cities where they found the first cases and a lot of people were infected (Feb 22nd).
Well that’s sad and somewhat worrisome but they’re taking care of it so nothing to panic about.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 2 (cont’d):
There are some deaths but they’re all old people so the media is just creating panic for views, how shameful.
People lead their life as usual.. I’m not going to stop going out and meeting my friends am I?
It’s not going to get me. Everybody’s fine here.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Stage 3: 25% of the country is under quarantine
🟣 STAGE 3:
The number of cases is rapidly going up.
They almost doubled in one day.
There’s more deaths.
They declare red zones and quarantine the 4 regions where the majority of cases are registered (March 7).
In Italy 25% of the county is under quarantine.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 3 (cont’d):
Schools and universities are closed in these areas but bars, work places, restaurants and so on are still open.
The decree gets released by some newspaper before it should…
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
People still went out, drank, ate, partied.
STAGE 3 (cont’d):
…so around 10k people from the red zone escape from the area that same night to return to their homes in the rest of Italy (this will be important later).
Most of the population of the remaining 75% of Italy still does what it always does.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 3 (cont’d):
They still don’t realize the seriousness of the situation. Everywhere you turn people advise to wash your hands and limit going out, large groups are forbidden, every 5 minutes on TV they remind you of these rules.
But it still hasn’t settled in people’s mind.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Stage 4: National Health Emergency
🟤 STAGE 4:
The number of cases is heavily increasing.
Schools and universities are closed everywhere for at least a month.
It’s a national health emergency.
Hospitals are at capacity, entire units are cleared to make space for coronavirus patients.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Doctors and nurses are getting infected, spreading it to families as they work with no shifts anymore.
STAGE 4 (cont’d):
There aren’t enough doctors and nurses.
They’re calling retired ones and those in their last 2 years of university.
There’s no shifts any more, just work as much as you can.
Of course doctors and nurses are getting infected, spreading it to their families.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 4 (cont’d):
There’s too many cases of pneumonia, too many people who need ICU and not enough places for everyone.
At this point is like being at war: doctors have to choose who to treat based on their survival chance.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
The doctors have to choose who to treat. This is like war.
STAGE 4 (cont’d):
That means that the elderly and trauma/stroke patients can’t get treated because corona cases have priority.
There’s not enough resources for everybody so they have to be distributed for best outcome.
I wish I was joking but it’s literally what has happened.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 4 (cont’d):
People have died because there wasn’t any more space.
I have a doctor friend who called me devastated because he had to let 3 people die that day.
Nurses crying because they see people dying and can’t do anything aside from offering some oxygen.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Stage 5: An Epidemic Has Begun
🔴 STAGE 5:
Remember the 10k idiot who ran from the red zone to the rest of Italy?
Well, the entire country has to be declared under quarantine (March 9).
The goal is to delay the spreading of the virus as much as possible.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 5 (cont’d):
Now there’s fear, you see a lot of people with masks and gloves around but there are still are people who think that they’re invincible, who go to restaurants in large groups, hang out with friends to drink and so on.
Next step.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Stage 6: Total lockdown, only grocery stores and pharmacies are open.
⚫️ STAGE 6:
2 days later, it’s announced that all (most) businesses are closed: Bars, restaurants, shopping centers, all kinds of shops etc.
Everything except supermarkets and pharmacies.
You can move around only if you have certification with you.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
STAGE 6 (cont’d):
The certification is an official document where you declare your name, where you’re coming from, where you’re going and what for.
There are a lot of police check points.
If you’re found outside without a valid reason you risk a fine up to €206.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Final thoughts…
FINAL THOUGHTS:
That’s what the situation is like now today as of the March 12th.
Keep in mind that it all happened in around 2 weeks…
5 DAYS FROM STAGE 3 TO TODAY.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
FINAL THOUGHTS (cont’d):
The rest of the world apart from Italy, China and Korea is just now beginning to reach other stages, so let me tell you this:
You have no idea what’s coming to get you.
I know because 2 weeks ago I was the one who had no idea and though it wasn’t bad.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 14, 2020
Moral Of The Story: Self Isolation Is Important: Stay At Home, PLEASE.
FINAL THOUGHTS (cont’d):
If there are cases where you live, then the virus is spreading, and you’re maybe 1-2 weeks behind us.
But you’ll get to our point eventually.
PLEASE take any precaution you can take.
Don’t act like it’s not going to get you.
If you can, STAY HOME.
— Yano (@JasonYanowitz) March 15, 2020
Stay safe out there. Please self-isolate. Take this time to heal.