Italy is locked down. But there’s a greater danger facing us all.
Iam sitting here in our apartment in Florence, Tuscany feeling both scared and defiant. The normally bustling street is quiet. After an extraordinary couple of weeks which has profoundly shocked Italy, the world is catching up. The news everywhere is dominated by the potential impact of Coronavirus.
Over the past fortnight here, the mood has shifted many times. The government and health officials attempted a calm and reassuring stance, realising that panic and misinformation could have catastrophic effects on the national psyche.
Fear of an epidemic is as old as mankind itself
Last week, the country’s president, Sergio Mattarella, called for the “irrational and motiveless fear” to stop.
The Italian Society of Psychiatrists (SIP) issued guidelines on how to cope with “Coronavirus stress and anxiety.”
Enrico Zanalda, president of the society talked of the “violent impact” on daily life. Fear of the virus has caused “the cancellation or postponement of thousands of small but important events in people’s lives from birthdays to baptisms.”
“Fear of an epidemic is as old as mankind itself. In this case its effect is amplified by incomplete, even false information which has caused public confidence in our institutions to collapse.”
Wise words.
Unfortunately, things have now taken another dramatic twist. As of the early hours of 10 March, Italy is now in total lockdown to try and contain the spread of Coronavirus. People are being told to stay at home and that “there is no red zone, just Italy”.
Schools and universities throughout Italy are already closed and public gatherings, funerals and weddings are banned throughout the country.
All religious gatherings have been stopped, although churches can have their doors open for private prayer.
City to city travel is allowed only if essential.
Many are praising the Prime Minister’s “brave decision”. I don’t think he had a choice, with media and political pressure, and the alarming rise in cases in the north.
But to me, it also sends the message that fear now rules and calm seems a lifetime away.
The “China” of Europe
Italy was the first European country to announce the death of a national from Coronavirus. It’s now the most affected country after China. No-one knows exactly why yet, although I have a theory I have written about here.
Travel plans are now in tatters for millions. Many airlines have suspended flights to Italy. Those currently visiting for work or social reasons should have no trouble leaving in theory, but there are many cancelled flights and they may face checks or self-quarantine for 14 dayswhen they arrive at their destination.
The Figures Today
These figures are from the Ministry of Health website and I update them after the daily 18:00 press conference.
As of 13 March there have been 17,660 positive tests. Of those 1266 have died and 1439 have recovered. Twenty regions plus Vatican City are affected.
Tuscany, where I live, has got 470 confirmed cases of the virus.
The majority of positive cases do not need hospital care and are in self isolation at their homes.
Knock-On Effect
In this iconic city of Florence, so reliant on tourism, businesses are reeling.
Hotels are at ten percent occupancy. They say the effect on the economy is worse than 9/11. I can believe it.
There is a noticeable lack of visitors. Everyone, from the restaurants, designer shops and five-star hotels to tour guides, wedding planners and villas in the hinterland, has been affected.
My husband is the chaplain of St. Mark’s Anglican church in Florence. There is now no public worship allowed, but he is keeping the doors open at the usual times for private prayer. If ever there was a time when a vicar is needed, this is it.
He has written some special prayers for people afraid of the coronavirus. You can find them here.
The sense of fear and uncertainty is greater every day. Students from American universities were told last Saturday to pack up and leave immediately. Now British universities are following suit.
Everyone is afraid. And that is the key.
The Real Virus
One thing has become chillingly clear over the last surreal fortnight: the power of fear is a far greater threat than any virus.
For the media, whose life-blood is a dramatic story with minute-by-minute developments, the coronavirus is a gift.
There are special programmes on Covid-19. Outside testing centres, journalists deliver their reports with masks on. The papers show alarming pictures of patients in intensive care.
Meanwhile abroad, headlines like those in the UK Daily Mail screaming: LIFE ON HOLD FOR THREE MONTHS because of the “deadly virus” simply stir up more panic.
Theories abound on the Internet. Is it a plot to cut population numbers? A massive deception to distract us from some other problem they don’t want us to know about? Did the virus originate in a lab near the Wuhan fish market? Is there something big they’re not telling us? Are we all doomed?
This is where mass hysteria can so easily take hold.
The greatest fear is that of the unknown. It is a primal terror that can make neighbour turn on neighbour, can make us racist, selfish and irrational.
It doesn’t take much to start a panic and we are teetering on the brink.
That is what I am really afraid of. That this situation and its exaggerated, apocalyptic reporting has now become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
We already know that a rumour, say about a possible water shortage, can cause a stampede on bottled water which in turn results in a real crisis.
All over the world there are pictures of people clearing supermarket shelves in preparation for a lockdown.
It doesn’t take much to start a panic and we are teetering on the brink.
Getting Things in Perspective
In an attempt to gain more understanding, I looked up the statistics for influenza in Italy. They are a revelation.
At this moment there are over 500,000 people in bed with flu (“normal” flu, not Coronavirus). The average death rate from flu-related illness over the last five years is 8000 a year.
I know this is not like normal flu. I have read the stats like everyone else. I understand that in a worst case scenario public health systems will be overwhelmed.
We all understand that there is danger in underestimating a threat.
But there is danger in overestimating one too.
If we published hour-by-hour figures of flu deaths and it was our only topic of conversation, we would soon have public hysteria.
I am advocating a realistic, calm assessment of the current situation, carefully navigating that fragile area between fact and emotion.
Most people unlucky enough to be affected by the virus will recover.
Italy has an ageing population. The majority of deaths have been those over 70 years old, mostly with pre-existing health conditions. Half the deaths have been people over 80. This is tragic for the families. I am in no way minimizing how awful it is to lose someone of whatever age.
However, it is significant in terms of fatalities for a disease.
Most people unlucky enough to be affected by the virus will recover.
I’m not a doctor, but from what I have read, if you have a strong immune system, you will probably be fine.
If you wash your hands regularly and take sensible precautions, you should minimise any risk of catching the virus.
Mind Games
What is not being discussed much is the effect of fear on our bodies and minds.
People can literally scare themselves to death. Fear and worry suppress the immune system by flooding us with various hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline.
The mind and immune system are in a delicate balance. Stress, whether chronic or sudden, can make us ill or kill us.
The Coronavirus will definitely affect you if you succumb to fear. Writing this, I know it has already affected me. I have a little knot in my solar plexus. I woke up at 3 am this morning thinking about it.
This has to stop. I need to take control of my brain and not indulge in obsessive scanning of the internet or other fear-inducing activity.
I know the immune system is strengthened by healthy eating, exercise and laughter. So I am going to take positive action:
- I resolve to watch a comedy programme rather than Sky News.
- I will change the subject if people start engaging in gossip or anxiety-based rumours.
- I will eat well and sleep as long as I can.
- I will walk for half an hour each day.
- I will try to remember that Italy’s population is 60.48 million, and that I should get things in perspective.
Since I wrote this article, I have been accused (in the comments below) of being “a danger to the public”, “stupid”, “reckless” and an “idiot” just because I am urging people to stay calm and not waste the only time you have (the present moment) in obsessive worry.
People have pasted statistics and links to prove their argument, missing the whole point of what I am saying.
Ultimately, we will not really be able to do much about the outcome of the Coronavirus.
We can do something about the other, far more dangerous and contagious one. The virus of fear.
It’s time to take back control.
