Italian Woman Says They Made A Mistake By Treating Coronavirus Like The Flu, Warns Others
209Kviews
If the spread of Coronavirus wasn’t causing enough problems already, it recently became clear that on top of everything, it’s also causing a big divide between people. While it’s healthy to find the middle ground between carelessness and panic, it’s been increasingly more difficult with conflicting reports coming from media and government officials. And as the virus continues to spread to new regions, countries that were just recently hit by the COVID-19 definitely have some things to learn from places where the virus is rapidly spreading.
As of March 10, 2020, the statistics gathered by Johns Hopkins University (JHU) show that there are currently 115,855 cases confirmed worldwide with the majority reported in China (80,756). However, the second-largest number belongs to Italy, where the number of cases recently skyrocketed and reached 9,172. As the sickness caused by the Coronavirus has already claimed over 4000 lives, one Italian woman took to Twitter to express her concerns.
Bianca started a thread pleading with people to take the virus spread more seriously than her country did. “Everybody kept saying, ‘It’s just flu’ and now our intensive care units are collapsing,” she wrote in a tweet. Bianca went on to share some gruesome statistics as well as a shot from an ICU in Italy. Her tweets not only brought attention to how seriously one should take the issue, but also the aspects that were previously unforeseen.
Bored Panda reached out to Bianca for additional comment and she kindly replied with some information. “I’m a 23yo girl living in a small [town] near Milan,” she introduced herself. “When the outbreak started here, people weren’t taking it seriously,” Bianca explained, “They kept saying it’s just the flu.”
More info: Twitter
One woman recently took to Twitter to urge people not to make the same mistake her country did
Image credits: labisbeticah
“Before entire Italy shut down, I saw people posting pics on vacation going from Lombardy to Ligury beaches like nothing was happening,” the woman continued. “The results of [them downplaying the issue is] that our ICU in Lombardy is collapsing and right now, we have almost no room but they’re creating new ICUs using every authorized facility so that we won’t run out of beds” she explained. Bianca also added that people who need intensive care are being sent to other regions. “Our doctors are exhausted, I read posts published from healthcare workers and they are begging us to stay at home,” the toll on the doctors and nurses seems to be reaching max levels. “This is heartbreaking,” Bianca told us.
Image credits: labisbeticah
Image credits: labisbeticah
“Right now I can say that awareness is spreading around Italians, we’re taking it seriously, we’re staying at home as much as we can and we are protecting the elders,” Bianca reported on the improving social awareness. The woman also revealed that in her area, Rosate, the mayor published a list of shops, bars, and pharmacies that offer home delivery to the elderly and the weak. “My advice is to prevent the spread of this disease,” she continued. “It’s not as deadly as the hemorrhagic flu, but that’s not just the flu either,” Bianca expressed her frustration with people underestimating the Coronavirus.
Bianca went on to explain that people’s belief that the virus only affects elderly people is a false promise. “Our primary of infectious disease, Massimo Galli, told us that in the ICU they also have people between 20-30 years old,” she said. “Deaths occurred mainly in elders and sick people, but that’s no relief ’cause the “elders and sick” are our parents, our grandparents, and our friends,” the woman added, “We can’t treat them as expendable human beings.”
“So please guys, don’t panic, don’t attack supermarkets, that’s wrong,” Bianca pleaded. The woman also weighed in on what health experts call “flattening the curve,” a phenomenon where the spread of the virus is slowed down in order for the number of patients needing treatment to be within the healthcare system capacity:
“You just need to be aware that Covid patients can recover even if their conditions are bad. But, in order to do so, they might need to be hospitalized and sometimes they need intubation. If 100 people per week need intubation, maybe we can cope but if 100 people per day need intubation, we can’t. And that’s no fear-mongering, these are facts. Maybe we can’t stop Covid, but we can slow it down. And that’s enough!”
Image credits: labisbeticah
Image credits: labisbeticah
“I never thought my tweet would have gone this far, but people [are] writing me from all over the world and sending so much love, it’s good to see that there’s still humanity [left],” Bianca expressed her relief at the positive responses. She also mentioned that some people have questioned her existence, even going as far as saying that she’s a bot spreading panic. “I don’t care, at least they are making me laugh in these tense times,” the woman said.
“Please be cautious, you all,” Bianca warned everyone once again. “Italy and China don’t shut down entire cities for the simple flu,” she concluded.
People quickly joined in the discussion with their concerns and opinions
Image credits: HeatherMinich
Image credits: wjzzzzzzz1
Image credits: voteably
Image credits: The_Beast1976
Image credits: labisbeticah
Image credits: jaygirl1980
Image credits: labisbeticah
Image credits: TrulyUB
Image credits: labisbeticah
Image credits: hjelle_brian
Image credits: labisbeticah
Image credits: HITNTNotTalkin
Image credits: danicafreestyle
Image credits: ThisCrazyLife3
Image credits: labisbeticah
Image credits: Msdesignerlady
209Kviews
Share on Facebook
If people don't believe climate change is real, the earth is sphere (like a ball), or vaccines prevent dreadful diseases --- why would they believe this is serious? When a vaccine is developed, will the anti-vax moms insist on being first? The same moms who have destroyed herd immunity? The ones responsible for the return of the measles. Lets see what happens when fake science turns out to be real..
There's already conspiracies that this was all done on purpose for political reasons. *facepalm*
Trump has said that it's a hoax that the Democrats have made up to make him look bad in the elections.
That's odd, because Trump just quarantined incoming flights from Europe, and was in talks with bankers about relief measures for people with debts. Are we talking about the same Trump? Or are you talking about the MSNBC Trump while I talk about Donald Trump? Whom I did not vote for, but seems to be treating this seriously?
Michael Williamson what
WilvanderHeijden fake news. Trump actually described Democratic complaints about his handling of the virus threat as “their new hoax.”
Trump was criticised for a travel ban to and from china as premature and racist against immigrants.
I'm no conspiracy nut, but I thought at first that the media was over-reacting. I mean, they always do and they kinda still are. The facts that I had researched said that COVID spreads less easily than seasonal flu and the death rate once infected was about half. Later I learned that the fatality numbers are inconsistent and uncertain. Also of course nobody in the entire world is vaccinated against this, so yeah it's going to spread - not much anyone can do about that, I figured, so why panic and cancel events and whatnot? But now I understand that cancelling events is just about slowing it down so as not to overwhelm health care resources. Also, I didn't know until recently that 10% of those infected require ICU at some point in the illness. So yes, there are some people over-reacting, and some who are not believing it's even real. In the middle there is the prudent response of vigilant handwashing, not touching people, staying away from crowds, not travelling. Which one will you be?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The anti-vaxxers are usually hippie-crystal liberals with names like "Feather."
No, they’re usually idiots. Stupidity is universal and bipartisan (although Trump voters seem to be either corrupt or fairly unintelligent, especially when it comes to self-preservation)
I hate how careless people is. I live in Czech Republic. We already have 58 people infected. Most of them were on vacation in Italy. They knew situation in Italy was bad, they would get their money back, but they still went on vacation. Now everyone who returned from Italy has to be quarantined. So I thought people will be more careful and cancel their vacations. And guess what happenned? My aunt's coworker went on vacation yesterday. To Italy. And thanks to people like her, virus spread faster. Edit: So we already have 61 people infected ....
Zintoki They also advise cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. But it should be obvious to everyone, virus or not.
Yes and also to Zintoki: the advice to stay 1m away from people would be people who are NOT coughing and sneezing. Stay much further from those!!
113 infected now. This drives me crazy.. People are selfish as hell. We have some of these people at the company where I work. They went to enjoy some snowy mountains and now the rest of us is scared what is coming. My mom has some serious lung disease and I am terrified, I am scared to go to work, but I can't afford to not go. Let's hope those people will get some brain.
Let's hope people in general get some compassion and will not cause horrific pain and suffering to other sentient beings, because that's where all these viruses originate from.
... and counting (probably)
And counting four definitely sure!
Of course. It will spread. One taxi driver in Prague has coronavirus. He could infect hundreds of people.
I'm living in Poland, the same situation - "it's pandemic time, so why don't we fly to Italy to ski? It will be fun!" Yup. People are idiots. Two days ago our prime minister did one good thing in his whole cadency - he closed schools, universities, theatres, museums, etc. Guess what? Teenagers and students began to congratulate themselves on vacation =I
Same in Spain. Schools, crèches, universities, etc are closed from today until 29th March at least. Students started organising "Botellón" (binge drinking in parks or the streets) and some discos organised special events like "La fiesta del Coronavirus: ven y contágiate con nosotros" (Coronavirus Feast: Come and get infected with us). Facepalm x 1000
We already have 189 infected in Czech Republic, everything is closed, whole country is on lockdown. Any event of 30 plus people is banned. But it does not apply to workplaces. I work in factory, there is over 300 people in one place. One infected and we're all screwed. There are some restriction, but still... I'm afraid go to work. Stay safe, people, let's hope it's over soon.
And 70 in Ireland. The health service doesn't let us know which county the cases are in, they just say east, west, Northern Ireland, or south.
I hate how cruel people are.
Since when is flu harmless?! This is such a big, ignorant and dangerous misconception.
I think people think it's harmless because we got used to it. There is flu season every year. Those who are scared/have some other illnesses stay at home, avoiding other people and it usually takes just a few weeks. Not a big deal, it is nothing new, that's why we don't hear a lot about it. Just flu season started /ended. Some of the worst cases are highlighted, because people like to hear /see some drama and that's it. Most of the healthy people don't get it, they don't care. How considerate, right? The problem here is, that this is completely new virus. We should be careful, we know nothing.. How long it will take, how many dead people will be, how bad the consequences can be. I think people see it this way: in comparison with this virus "just flu" seems to be not that bad choice, at least people know what to expect, and also that usually say the people who haven't ever have the real flu when whole your body is in pain and you would give everything to be healthy again.
THANK YOU! Influenza has killed for centuries. The last "serious" outbreaks didn't get the same panic and coverage as Covid19. And, for the record, I had H1N1 2009, and that landed me in a hospital, and I wasn't even in an at-risk category! Covid19 is bad, yes, but people die in the thousand from flu every year and nobody freaks out. Not that I recommend panic, but FLU is not harmless. Bird flu, swine flu, etc. (BTW, Spanish flu in 1918-19 was NOT the last bad flu epidemic. The 2009-10 H1N1 flu pandemic is believed (per WHO and others) to have killed over 250,000 worldwide. Yep. FLU IS DANGEROUS.
Deadly, deadly, deadly........so why human beings do NOT change their behavior, their live style??? Why don't you think how much pain and suffering have you caused every time you sit down to eat??? Why don't you think how much destruction you caused?? Why don't you get in possession of conscience??? Why???
worldometer has data: google it. yes influenza killed already 95000 this year. But now the truth:we are all going to die: Don't wait for it.
Last year, 2019, just in Spain, 6000 people died of flu. Normal, "simple" flu. Just one country, just one year... 6000 deaths. Flu is deadly. As deadly as coronavirus. It only gets far less media coverage.
Exactly, and influenza strains are getting more potent than ever. It's not just live animal meat markets (Wet markets) which cause these deadly viruses, like corona virus, come into being and pose a public health menace. The factory farms and slaughter industry are linked to emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, mad cow disease, egg-born Salmonella, and ever more dangerous strains of flu. And ONLY consumers can stop it!!! You - every single person on this planet, have the power to change the world simply by changing what's on your dinner plate!!! Nothing else will do.
Spanish flu?
Spanish flu was so called because it was first reported in Spain but it is not believed to have come from Spain. It was also a H1N1 flu and infected over a quarter of the world's population at the time. This was c. 500,000,000 infections. It is not known precisely how many people died but some estimated figures are as high as 10% of all infections. I know here in Ireland alone it killed 20,000 people out of a population of just over 3 million.
If people don't believe climate change is real, the earth is sphere (like a ball), or vaccines prevent dreadful diseases --- why would they believe this is serious? When a vaccine is developed, will the anti-vax moms insist on being first? The same moms who have destroyed herd immunity? The ones responsible for the return of the measles. Lets see what happens when fake science turns out to be real..
There's already conspiracies that this was all done on purpose for political reasons. *facepalm*
Trump has said that it's a hoax that the Democrats have made up to make him look bad in the elections.
That's odd, because Trump just quarantined incoming flights from Europe, and was in talks with bankers about relief measures for people with debts. Are we talking about the same Trump? Or are you talking about the MSNBC Trump while I talk about Donald Trump? Whom I did not vote for, but seems to be treating this seriously?
Michael Williamson what
WilvanderHeijden fake news. Trump actually described Democratic complaints about his handling of the virus threat as “their new hoax.”
Trump was criticised for a travel ban to and from china as premature and racist against immigrants.
I'm no conspiracy nut, but I thought at first that the media was over-reacting. I mean, they always do and they kinda still are. The facts that I had researched said that COVID spreads less easily than seasonal flu and the death rate once infected was about half. Later I learned that the fatality numbers are inconsistent and uncertain. Also of course nobody in the entire world is vaccinated against this, so yeah it's going to spread - not much anyone can do about that, I figured, so why panic and cancel events and whatnot? But now I understand that cancelling events is just about slowing it down so as not to overwhelm health care resources. Also, I didn't know until recently that 10% of those infected require ICU at some point in the illness. So yes, there are some people over-reacting, and some who are not believing it's even real. In the middle there is the prudent response of vigilant handwashing, not touching people, staying away from crowds, not travelling. Which one will you be?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The anti-vaxxers are usually hippie-crystal liberals with names like "Feather."
No, they’re usually idiots. Stupidity is universal and bipartisan (although Trump voters seem to be either corrupt or fairly unintelligent, especially when it comes to self-preservation)
I hate how careless people is. I live in Czech Republic. We already have 58 people infected. Most of them were on vacation in Italy. They knew situation in Italy was bad, they would get their money back, but they still went on vacation. Now everyone who returned from Italy has to be quarantined. So I thought people will be more careful and cancel their vacations. And guess what happenned? My aunt's coworker went on vacation yesterday. To Italy. And thanks to people like her, virus spread faster. Edit: So we already have 61 people infected ....
Zintoki They also advise cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. But it should be obvious to everyone, virus or not.
Yes and also to Zintoki: the advice to stay 1m away from people would be people who are NOT coughing and sneezing. Stay much further from those!!
113 infected now. This drives me crazy.. People are selfish as hell. We have some of these people at the company where I work. They went to enjoy some snowy mountains and now the rest of us is scared what is coming. My mom has some serious lung disease and I am terrified, I am scared to go to work, but I can't afford to not go. Let's hope those people will get some brain.
Let's hope people in general get some compassion and will not cause horrific pain and suffering to other sentient beings, because that's where all these viruses originate from.
... and counting (probably)
And counting four definitely sure!
Of course. It will spread. One taxi driver in Prague has coronavirus. He could infect hundreds of people.
I'm living in Poland, the same situation - "it's pandemic time, so why don't we fly to Italy to ski? It will be fun!" Yup. People are idiots. Two days ago our prime minister did one good thing in his whole cadency - he closed schools, universities, theatres, museums, etc. Guess what? Teenagers and students began to congratulate themselves on vacation =I
Same in Spain. Schools, crèches, universities, etc are closed from today until 29th March at least. Students started organising "Botellón" (binge drinking in parks or the streets) and some discos organised special events like "La fiesta del Coronavirus: ven y contágiate con nosotros" (Coronavirus Feast: Come and get infected with us). Facepalm x 1000
We already have 189 infected in Czech Republic, everything is closed, whole country is on lockdown. Any event of 30 plus people is banned. But it does not apply to workplaces. I work in factory, there is over 300 people in one place. One infected and we're all screwed. There are some restriction, but still... I'm afraid go to work. Stay safe, people, let's hope it's over soon.
And 70 in Ireland. The health service doesn't let us know which county the cases are in, they just say east, west, Northern Ireland, or south.
I hate how cruel people are.
Since when is flu harmless?! This is such a big, ignorant and dangerous misconception.
I think people think it's harmless because we got used to it. There is flu season every year. Those who are scared/have some other illnesses stay at home, avoiding other people and it usually takes just a few weeks. Not a big deal, it is nothing new, that's why we don't hear a lot about it. Just flu season started /ended. Some of the worst cases are highlighted, because people like to hear /see some drama and that's it. Most of the healthy people don't get it, they don't care. How considerate, right? The problem here is, that this is completely new virus. We should be careful, we know nothing.. How long it will take, how many dead people will be, how bad the consequences can be. I think people see it this way: in comparison with this virus "just flu" seems to be not that bad choice, at least people know what to expect, and also that usually say the people who haven't ever have the real flu when whole your body is in pain and you would give everything to be healthy again.
THANK YOU! Influenza has killed for centuries. The last "serious" outbreaks didn't get the same panic and coverage as Covid19. And, for the record, I had H1N1 2009, and that landed me in a hospital, and I wasn't even in an at-risk category! Covid19 is bad, yes, but people die in the thousand from flu every year and nobody freaks out. Not that I recommend panic, but FLU is not harmless. Bird flu, swine flu, etc. (BTW, Spanish flu in 1918-19 was NOT the last bad flu epidemic. The 2009-10 H1N1 flu pandemic is believed (per WHO and others) to have killed over 250,000 worldwide. Yep. FLU IS DANGEROUS.
Deadly, deadly, deadly........so why human beings do NOT change their behavior, their live style??? Why don't you think how much pain and suffering have you caused every time you sit down to eat??? Why don't you think how much destruction you caused?? Why don't you get in possession of conscience??? Why???
worldometer has data: google it. yes influenza killed already 95000 this year. But now the truth:we are all going to die: Don't wait for it.
Last year, 2019, just in Spain, 6000 people died of flu. Normal, "simple" flu. Just one country, just one year... 6000 deaths. Flu is deadly. As deadly as coronavirus. It only gets far less media coverage.
Exactly, and influenza strains are getting more potent than ever. It's not just live animal meat markets (Wet markets) which cause these deadly viruses, like corona virus, come into being and pose a public health menace. The factory farms and slaughter industry are linked to emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, mad cow disease, egg-born Salmonella, and ever more dangerous strains of flu. And ONLY consumers can stop it!!! You - every single person on this planet, have the power to change the world simply by changing what's on your dinner plate!!! Nothing else will do.
Spanish flu?
Spanish flu was so called because it was first reported in Spain but it is not believed to have come from Spain. It was also a H1N1 flu and infected over a quarter of the world's population at the time. This was c. 500,000,000 infections. It is not known precisely how many people died but some estimated figures are as high as 10% of all infections. I know here in Ireland alone it killed 20,000 people out of a population of just over 3 million.