Summer has closed in on the minds of stressed, quarantine fatigued Italians, and the sites of vacations, beaches and looming mountains are beckoning the nation. Gone are the days of constant fear and holding back from human contact. Bars are open, clubs blare their music, and rich, northern Italians flood the south of the country, looking for a space on the beach to get to work on their summer tan.
For many, a return to normalcy is a welcome relief, while a few still hold concerns for the consequences of carefree habits.
“Many have forgotten that this disease spread through the country because of a lack of protection measures, and all it takes is one sick person in a culture of carefree people to repeat the pandemic”
It is a sober thought to consider that it may be all it takes, but a healthy amount of concern could be enough to maintain a low enough infection rate to contain or minimize the effects of the disease.
As of the 4th of july, more than eleven million people have been confirmed infected, with over half a million attributed deaths, though true estimates put both figures much higher than this.
As if this statistical data and analysis isn’t enough, there is a frightening rise in Chinese cases, threatening a second wave, while other large countries are still experiencing the worst of the health emergency.
So what should we make of this situation, must we live in fear? Must our lives be dominated by this disease at every turn? What action should we take?
Firstly, no. While caution and awareness are good practices for anyone, excessive fear and stress lower the immune system significantly, and cause more harm to our lives than good.
Covid 19 is here, and until we have a safe way to treat it, we cannot turn a blind eye on it. Disinfecting items from the supermarket, and frequent hand washing and cleaning of our homes, clothes and pets is always the best option. While this can be seen as paranoid by some, it depends on how compulsive you are about this and how much the thoughts about the virus dominate your daily life.
So for Italian families who aren’t sure if they should go on vacation, keep these thoughts in consideration. because maybe some safe relaxation is just what you all might need. The best approach by far, is to be aware of what you touch, to enjoy your time on vacation and to keep a high hygienic standard. Remember that cleanliness and vigilance are all that is needed to improve your life in this turbulent time.
As of July, Italy has relaxed its inner borders, has introduced higher workplace and service sanitation protocols, and has built its model on economic regrowth with a heavy influence on monitoring health. With this combined approach, the government has managed to achieve a constant low number of new cases and deaths well below the 50 mark.
