Once they made light of the coronavirus, then the graveyards started filling up. Now Italians are warning the rest of the world to learn from their mistakes before it's too late.
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"Protect yourselves, I beg you. Don't listen to those who say it's not serious," mother tweeted. The #coronavirushasnoborder hashtag is doing the rounds, as people young and old, celebrity and commoner, urge others to stop underestimating a disease which is stretching northern Italy's hospitals and doctors to the limit. "I want to warn you so that you don't face what we are facing here," Italian blogger told his 386,500 followers on Instagram. "Please take advantage of our example and act now to prevent a huge crisis in your countries," he said.
While Italy has been battling the silent killer for nearly a month and now has over 31,000 cases, and more than 2,500 victims, other countries are behind the curve and have only recently been forced into action.
France and Spain have recently imposed lockdowns, while Belgium and Germany have ordered their citizens to stay at home, but others like Britain and the US have faced criticism for delaying anti-coronavirus measures. In Olmo Parenti's short film "10 Days", out this week and made after the start of Italy's lockdown, Italians 'from the future' sent messages to their past selves, telling them -- and others around the world -- what they wished they had known. "Stop making fun of your mother when she tells you to buy masks, and go and buy them," one woman urges.
Another, wearing a face mask, says: "The worst-case scenario? That's exactly what will happen". The film ends with the message: "We underestimated this. You don't have to do the same. Stay at home."
While Italy imposed a localised lockdown immediately after its first deaths, people outside of the "red zone" carried on going to bars and discos, eating meals at crowded restaurants, and hugging and kissing each other. There were virus-themed aperitivos for those looking to knock back a cool drink after work with their friends. As reality hit home, Italians watched in horror as other countries shrugged it off as just a case of the flu, with images on social media showing people elsewhere still blithely making merry, allowing the virus to spread.
The suggestion last week by a British doctor and television personality that Italians were using the coronavirus outbreak as an excuse for a "long siesta" prompted anxious warnings from the would-be "nappers". "For other countries affected by COVID-19: Your hospitals won't hold. Your doctors will be exhausted," Twitter user wrote.
The president of the European Commission admitted Wednesday that political leaders in the EU had "underestimated" the magnitude of the danger posed by the coronavirus. "My Italian friends and colleagues (who work abroad) agree", tweeted user, who was currently in Italy but said he worked at the EU's diplomatic service in Brussels. "Paradoxically, we feel safer in Italy at the moment," he said.
