Mouthguards are increasingly determining the face of the streets in northern Italy and a very young epidemic is scaring people: the new Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus is in the country (for news ticker). How large it has already spread is currently difficult to predict.
It is by far the worst known Sars-CoV-2 outbreak in Europe. In the badly affected city of Codogno, many streets were deserted on weekends. «There is no human soul on the street anymore. It’s like we’re in Wuhan, »said a resident to the Italian state television. The city looked like an Italian miniature edition of the sealed Chinese city of millions. «We are experiencing an absurd situation, here in the city we are talking about nothing else. Most people did what I will do today: buy supplies where there are still shops open and then return to my house, »a man told Corriere del Ticino.
Fear is spreading
At least one Unilever employee is among the infected, employees of the local factory wear face masks on the streets – and more and more residents are doing the same. Many schools and shops are closed, umpteen sporting events and other major events have been canceled.
The rapid development is hard to believe for the people of northern Italy, fear is spreading. Up until Wednesday the world still seemed in order, only three infections were known nationwide, all three were recognized early. The shock followed on Thursday: The virus was detected in a seriously ill 38-year-old in a clinic in Codogno.
The Italian authorities reacted quickly, quarantined tens of people, and carried out extensive tests for the virus among hospital staff, relatives, colleagues and friends of the man.
Streets are deserted as residents were warned to stay inside in Codogno, Lombardy. Six people in the town have tested positive for coronavirus. Two have died from the virus in the region.
???? Italy Town Shuts Schools, Cafes as 6 Test Positive for Virushttps://t.co/8gdE5X7Eh5 pic.twitter.com/x64APAK0Ch
– The Voice of America (@VOANews) February 22, 2020
But the virus had long since caught dozens of other people, including doctors and nurses from the Codogno clinic. Meanwhile, another, initially much smaller, outbreak in Veneto became known. There, a 78-year-old died in the community of Vo from Covid-19, the lung disease caused by the virus, as the authorities assume.
More than ten people around him are also infected. In Lombardy, the virus was detected in a 77-year-old who died on Thursday.
The Italian government is cracking down on Saturday evening to curb the further spread of Covid-19 in the economically important north: Almost a dozen locations southeast of Milan with around 50,000 inhabitants and Vo with around 3,000 inhabitants are being sealed off.
Virus may have been unwittingly introduced
“Entering and leaving these areas is prohibited,” said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Security forces would be deployed. “If necessary, it will also be the armed forces.” Anyone who tries to circumvent the barriers faces “criminal prosecution”. A premature end to the Venice Carnival, which actually lasts until Tuesday, is also being considered.
Meanwhile, the origin of both outbreaks is searched. Tourists or business people from China may have unwittingly brought the virus with them at some point. The statisticians count around 300,000 Chinese in Italy, plus 5.3 million overnight stays from the country last year.
“We cannot look back one day and regret that we did not make use of this window of time.”Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief
The development in Italy, as well as the increasingly critical situation in South Korea, Iran and other countries, shows that a pandemic, an unstoppable worldwide triumph of the virus, can no longer be stopped.
On Friday, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the time window for this was getting smaller. “We cannot look back one day and regret that we did not make use of this window of time,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In more and more countries, it is only noticeable that the virus has long been in circulation when people become seriously ill or die. It was like this in Iran, it was like that in South Korea, it is like that in Italy.
Switzerland does not take any further measures
Despite the increasing number of coronavirus patients in Italy, the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) has so far not taken any further measures because of the virus. Cases were also recorded for the first time in the northern Italian regions of Piedmont and Emilia Romagna. The Swiss authorities are monitoring the situation in Italy “closely”.
«The population in the #Tessin must keep calm. » The main answers to the spread of the #Coronavirus in #Norditalien, pic.twitter.com/iZBKWjQnxt
– SRF News (@srfnews) February 23, 2020
This was announced by the BAG on Sunday to the Keystone-SDA news agency. However, the situation could change quickly. Regarding the situation in Italy, the BAG said that it was a local outbreak that had to be brought under control by all means.
Italy currently has the highest number of infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Europe. After the two deaths reported on Friday and Saturday, the number of people infected has now risen to more than 100.
(Step / SDA)
Created: Feb 23, 2020 12:31 PM
–
