some updates from Italy: maybe better knowing from the source what's going on here. 1) the virus only spreads through direct contact (shaking hands, saliva, sneeze from less than 1 m distance and things like that) . It's very hard to get it from a surface, as it quickly drops its virality when it's out of the human body. 2) what to avoid: touching your eyes or lips or face before washing your hands with water and soap (or with alchool and so on), staying closer than 1-1,5 m (1-2 yards) from anyone with a flu (and maybe also if he hasn't). 3) it spreads very quickly like a flu, so (in my opinion) it will arrive everywhere in the world: avoiding travels helps, but (in my opinion) it just slows down the time the virus will need to arrive in your area (and not "if") and the number of persons it will affect. 4) (common) masks are useless: they are suited for who has a flu and so will avoid to throw the virus far from him, increasing the safe distance. They don't protect (much) you from the virus, but they protect (a lot) others from you, if you are infected. 5) it looks it's not so dangerous as the SARS (not even close, fortunately), but has a 2% mortality index. Of that 2% most are people very old or who already suffered of other problems, but some are normal people so better taking care in any case. It looks children are not much exposed, as the virus looks to give them less problems than to adults. 6) the time it needs to show up after you got it is usually a week as average (they say 2-14 days) so the quarantine here is 14 days long. 7) please take care of what I wrote and be prepared, I wish I had known this before. This said, that's what we all almost learned after two weeks with this virus, I'm crossing my fingers. Here in Italy I think we are doing everything necessary to contain the virus spreading, but who knows what it will happen. ciao PS At present we have just three COVID cases here in Modena area: they will grow up, very likely
thank you for the information. there is much floating around, some of which is not accurate to say the least. personally I am supposed to go to Verona for VinItaly but I am wondering if it will be cancelled or postponed. I hope that it is not.
Who knows: If I had to bet, I would say it will be cancelled or postponed. I think we need some weeks to contain and learn how to deal with this virus in big public events. But Vinitaly is two months away, maybe we already managed it at the time. Or we will be all dead… who knows: let's see... ciao
I was just in a meeting with one of my wine distributors with whom I go to VinItaly with, and he informed me that the event is still a go. Even though soccer games are being played in closed stadiums??
At present Vinitaly is confirmed, but who knows what it will happen in the future: we don't know how this epidemy will go on. I think they won't go on with closed stadiums for a long time: they are talking to reopen them in a week, but at present nobody can say what it will happen. Next ten days will be very important: we started a lot of restrictions and quarantine in the villages were there is the peak of epidemy and were the virus started hitting. So within two weeks the rising percentage should slow down, while we expect a big increase during this week: next week will be the most important one. Ciao
Hi Mike, glad to hear from you. Maybe in June this problem will be already solved and you could put some flowers on my grave without any risk... Ciao
Funny but don't say that my friend! Anyways I believe my wife decided to stay home Just incase.. Ciao
Will be interesting to see how this all shakes out. My family is from Emilia-Romagna, about 45 minutes west of Parma. The rest is in Genova. Unless the US or Italy bars travel I have plans to be there in July & again in September.
Time will tell, Hopefully it all settles down. But it may get worst before better. Hopefully im wrong
other countries with Coronavirus: almost all. Maybe within one month will be everywhere. Here the Johns Hopkins site link through Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera https://www.corriere.it/speciale/esteri/2020/mappa-coronavirus/ good luck to everybody ciao P.S. Cases in Modena area are now 8
the irony of that report and it comes from Johns Hopkins no less, is that in the US, at least on the East Coast, they have not mentioned once the number of those who have recovered once infected! So clearly those who have passed, where in that "danger-zone" of either age, general poor health to begin with, auto-immune issues. flashback to the influenza of 1918??
Influenza Spagnola killed 50M humans between 1918 and 1920. This one is nothing comparable, absolutely (I hope!). It can be heavy or light: here several that got it and hospitalized were sent back their home as they hadn't anything more that a bit of temperature and just had to do the 14 days quarantine. If you just suffered of a big heart attack or already had had heavy respiratory problems very likely this Covid will kill you. Here National health care system works well: we Italian are much worried about what it will happen when the virus will spread in Africa, where public health care system is not so effective like our one. I think also US will have some problems to manage it, in some diseased zones. This said several doctors died in China. At present here in Italy didn't die anyone that was in good health before getting this virus, but some are in very bad conditions with high temperature and a big pneumonia Ciao PS We all here are waiting for an higher temperature weather, hoping the hot will sweep away the virus
was not referring to the report issued by Hopkins that was graciously posted by @Albert-LP , was referring to the US media (at least here on the East Coast) which has not even MENTIONED this Hopkins report. English is not my first language my apologies for the confusion
In France there is a big rising of cases too. But maybe the rising is why they are testing also people that just had contact with an infected person (like we did) and not only the ones hospitalized. ciao
please try to translate this: it's in Italian and it's very useful to learn what the REAL situation is and will let you to decide what to do or not to do in a better way https://www.quotidiano.net/commento/coronavirus-numeri-1.5049408 ciao
Swiss Geneva car show cancelled, it's official: in my opinion they waited even too much time to take this (correct and obvious) decision ciao
No, sorry, that's not true, I was wrong: it looks it will be limited to press only or no more than 1000 visitors together or something like that. Swiss just prohibited any event "with more than 1000 persons". There is a big confusion here, and I don't understand why it should be safe staying at an event with 700-800 persons and not if they are 2000-3000... That's funny! ciao PS Nobody here still learned if the Geneva car show is cancelled or will be on a "limited visitors" edition. Please check before taking a plane just for the carshow
Not that big, Alberto: official count as for today, Friday, February 28th at 13:00 (= One o clock in the beginning of the afternoon, one P.M) is 41 persons infected by the Covid-19. Three persons have died. It has jumped from 18 to 38 yesterday at the end of the evening, as the health service has investigated thoroughly in detail the vicinity of the city of Creil, and the Air Force aerodrome here: two cases had already been found earlier, without explanation (No "Patient-zero" found yet). After investigating thorougly the city, its surroundings, the Air Force base, the number of cases has jumped by 20 (i.e: from 18 to 38). So there is a center of infection in Creil. This morning, three more cases have been identified in the South-East: two in Savoy (Haute-Savoie) and one in Nice, all three to people who had connection with persons that had traveled to Italy. For the time being, it is not that severe, but the next weeks will probably be essential. Rgds
Bruno, this virus spreads very quickly: it's impossible to be contained anywhere. France looks to be today what Italy was a week ago. And this ( very likely) will happen for every country in the world Ciao
This virus will do what they have done for all time: Kill the susceptible patients and annoy the rest of the population. That is unless we invoke some Draconian measures and there is no need to. YMMV Lester