Coronavirus -A letter from Italy

Coming from the Eurozone region, and living in a multicultural city since I was born, I know Italians; I know them well. Yes, they are friendly people and hard workers, but who isnt. The particularity that makes Italians unique is their love for positive things: love for beautiful art, love for delicious food, love for a sunny day, sitting on the beach bar terrace with a gelato and espresso cup. In brief love for life.

And life, the beginning of a new year, was spread all around this winter. I remember the early days of coronavirus emergency vividly. It was a festive period between Valentines day and Carnevale. Festivities in Italy have always begun in advance, they have been much more marry, and lasted longer than in other European countries. Newspapers and television programs were talking about an unknown virus in the Asian continent, but nobody wanted to pay them serious attention. Hugs and kisses, smiles, and Mardi gras preparations were far more important for the, optimistic by nature, Italians. They are passionate and tender-hearted. They are touched in an equal manner by a bad weather news or a natural disaster catastrophe. They immerse themselves in others lives, sorrow, and suffer. On the other hand, they just cant stay mad or sad too long, eventually they will turn to good, positive and festive events in life.

The news of the first COVID patient in north Italy hit Italians like a tone of bricks. The unknown virus wasnt spreading anymore a thousand miles away, it has come between them, in their world, their country, their home.

THE BEGINNING

Authorities have imposed emergency measures. Two of the most prosperous Italian regions, Lombardy and Veneto, suffered neighborhoods lockdowns, cities lockdowns, street controls, rail controls, and air controls. Then, one March day, regions lockdowns were imposed to lost and frighten Italians to contain worrying COVID outbreaks. Numbers of infected have gone crazy and were spreading unreasonably. Suddenly their Eurozone neighbors were more frightened than Italians themselves. Terrified of new diseases and the unknown, in mid-March the European Union decided to close all the borders. Another unexpected event occurred for the Italians. Shocked, they realized that they must be the first to deal with the new medical problem.

THE EVOLUTION

Meantime hospitals in North Italy become overwhelmed and the virus was spreading through streets, neighborhoods, towns, cities, regions, in one world, through the country. Left alone, the fear of dying, anxiety, depression, panic, and anger emerged in Italians during the lockdown. With military and law enforcement on streets and restaurants, bars, banks, construction, and manufacturing companies closed, the fear for the future came in. Neither medical stuffs or scientists reassurances neither Prime Ministers proclamations offered much help, Italians were lost. Nobody has the clue of what exactly was going on. Reporters daily brought in every Italian home numbers of infected, deaths, surrenders, survivals, and winners, but data and numbers were the only things that Italians have been left with. Zero information on what to do in their homes, zero information for the patients families, zero information for the law enforcement, emergency, and hospital workers left Italians in disbelief. Virologists, immunologists, and general medicine doctors were arguing on national and private television programs, politics pointed at each other, so Italians, to preserve themselves, shake off worries, doubts and fears and turn to the only certain things they know: the joy of life, the love for art, the love for positive things. They began to dance, to sing Volare, O sole mio, Sinatra’s and other songs, to chat with each other from their yards and balconies. Doing so they felt less abandoned and alone, they gave courage and comfortable words to each other. AS days passed by, they have surrendered to their new quotidian. Days with the fear of the unknown, a life with illness and death, a future without jobs and work duties, but also a life with their closest ones, pets, love, and nature.

THE END

Let me inform you, there isn’t a happy end, like in American movies. At least not jet. Italy, a country with 60,461 millions of people, suffered more than 227.000 COVID infections and 32.169 deaths this spring. Meanwhile restaurants can reopen, the construction sector, wholesale, and manufacturing companies are welcoming workers back, many other aspects of Italian life won’t inch closer to normal. There are too many families affected by the loss in Italy; the loss of a loved one, the loss of employment and economic security, the loss of trust, the loss of serenity, so, there can’t be a happy end. Instead, there is an end, and a new beginning for the Italians. Today Italians are reopening their activities, they can go for a walk or jogging further than 100 yards. In their hearts remains worries for their fellow citizens abroad and for others who were affected by the COVID pandemic. For their neighboring countries and friends overseas. They are not the old Italians anymore; they are angry and scared. Angry with life and destiny, scared of the future. Still they are Italians, opened, friendly, and in love with life. They are full of ideas and innovations in the hope to regain security and serenity. They are longing for summer to come and bless them warm beach days. And mostly, they are glad that their and your pandemic nightmare has come to an end.

Regards,

Ale from Pisalosite