I’m publishing below email correspondence from friends in Milan, IT and Hamburg, DE edited only to protect or omit private information not pertinent to the view my friends have of their countries’ responses and that of the world, in general.
The first message is mine, sent late last night. I am submitting only one of two since both of my emails to them were essentially the same.
The next two messages are their replies received early this morning.
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Dear ________ and Family,
So much time since our last communication but in times like these one feels a need to reach out in
hopes of finding all is well with those we know and love. We are both well and determined to stay
that way. We are just about in self-quarantine, going beyond home only to get groceries and keep
necessary appointments. That leaves us lots of time to watch the news on TV, read the articles
online, and listen to the public announcements from WHO and our national health monitor, the CDC. All these resources are firm in their warnings: Regard this as a dangerous health and economic crisis.
Anxiety is everywhere as people realize that for the next several weeks lives will have to change.
When I read the news from Italy, the epidemic in your country seems dire. Our worries for you and
the impact it is having on those closest to you is with us every day. With no way to do more, we can only let you know that we wish you well and hold you in our thoughts, hoping for the best. We know
you are sensible and calm by nature and trust in your judgment to take all care possible.
If you have time, we look forward to hearing from you. Learning from your experience personally and
as a nation, unites us in feeling and assures us that "the lights are still on" in Milano.
With affection,Your Alpine Lake Friends,
The following is from my Italian friends, both trained physicians who live in Milan, Italy’s second largest city located in the NW part of the country in Lomabardy Region and regarded by many as Italy’s “real” capital. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country (and world) and is where Leonardo da Vinci’s large mural fesco, The Last Supper is located.
I have not censored or corrected my friend’s charming use of English to express her sentiments; all is presented as written, except for as noted above and emphasis, which is mine.
Dear dear ________!
your message is a so heart-warming one!
Happy to listen you're well
We're also healthy by now 🤞
But around us the scenario is terrifying
Mario and me retired from hospital in recent times and we're suspending , by now, our medical activity as private MD
Francesco (31yo) is a MD General Practitioner and lives in Lyon -France with a canadian girl from Quebec: he's very scared as France hasn't done anything by now to fight the coming tragedy
Anna Marta (30 yo) is an engineer and today she's trying to fly back from Norway : a programmed and so desided holiday that she and Filippo ( the boy she lives with) decided to leave more than 1 week ago, despite Covid19
Our Hospitals in Northern Italy are far worse than war scenes: Public Health System ( here in the North we have the best one in Italy) is acting as well and as fast as possibile preparing every day dozens and dozens more equipped beds for High Intansity Care , but it's not enough as numbers spike more and more
Doctors and paramedics are struggling as heroes, (even without enough protection devices - which are very very scarce ), reduced in number by being infected themselves or working despite possible infection : diagnostic swabs are now restricted to symptomatic persons (thousand being performed every day) so nobody really knows the true number of infected people
As you certainly know, older people are at higher risk, but also many young persons are in severe conditions
Since 3 days Italy is experiencing a real shutdown : we must stay at home and we're allowed to get out only for strong reasons: 1-work (but many offices, firms and activities are suspended) 2-health, 3-real needs. Police is patrolling
All shop (except for food, pharmacies gas stations ), restaurants, theatres ecc are closed
After the first days in which people seemed fool and didn't understand what's happening, now it seems that the gravity is getting more present in people's mind and fear starts running
Our EU neighbours don't seem to take experience from Italy , even if numbers show they only have a 9-10 days advantage in pandemy spreading
So, my dear ______________, stay in home, wash your hands obsessively, clean cell-phones and items at risk, wear masks when you meet people , dont't shake hands and try to stay at 6 feet from whoever you meet
Unfortunately, Your President is not helping you, at all ! Joking as ever, denying news and scientists' statements , after having destroyed Obama's attempts to give Americans a better Health System
It will be a great pleasure to keep in touch updating each other about us !
Best regards, with affection
_____________________________
The next message comes from friends living in Hamburg, Germany’s largest port on the Elbe River, which gives it commercial shipping access to both the North and Baltic Seas. It is the second largest city in Germany after Berlin and is a popular tourist destination because of its beauty and blend of old world and modern areas — not to mention the spectacle of witnessing operations of a huge port installation.
Hi ________,thanks for your mail. I will just give you a short reply now. It's quite late.
We are both fine at the moment. Although there is a lot of talk about coronavirus but except for the supermarket shelves full of pasta and empty spaces where toilet rolls should be, there is no real difference in people's behaviour.
The German government response is very disorganised. Health organisation here is the responsibility of each state. The British response seems to me to be more effective. Naturally, for us it is all a bit inconvenient as we plan on going to Ireland for the summer on the 8th April. A simple delay would be no problem but the uncertainty is a bit unsettling.
While I understand your feelings about the world’s greatest genius and war hero who
never fought, it would be a great loss to comedy. Not even the English clown, BoJo,
comes close.
All the best from an unseasonably warm Hamburg; a longer version will follow,
__________________
There you have my contribution to News of the World in pandemic times. Take heed and be warned. And may all who read this post be vigilant in exercising care and regard for their health so that you will all be in fine enough fettle to read my next postings from friends abroad, if and when they become available. Good luck and remain well.
May I make a suggestion to the community? Those of you who have friends and family abroad, please communicate with them on the subject of Covid19 and ask for information of their status on the ground. We can learn from their individual stories in ways that may benefit us all. As citizens, we will have to do for ourselves what our Republican political “leaders” are reluctant to do for their country.