Italy is one of the most affected countries in the world by COVID-19, with 17,660 confirmed cases and 1,266 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. That's the largest outbreak that is still happening outside of China.
Italy is under national lockdown until April 3, on Wednesday evening, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that supermarkets and pharmacies would be the only retailers to remain open in Italy, while everything else is closed.
Even in such situation, people don’t give up. Neighbors singing a patriotic folk song in Siena, a city in central Italy's Tuscany region, motivated the rest of the country to start singing and dancing so spreading a positive thought and health wishes.
Videos of Italian citizens singing and dancing from various cities and towns made a boom on the social media, in videos are show people singing from balconies and windows in attempt to boost morale, confidence and stay strong during this hard times.
The French, Spaniards, Czechs and Germans took off their masks to drink a cold beer on the terrace
The week of May 11-15 is an important one for many European countries! Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Czech Republic are among the first to start the "great relaxation" of the restrictive measures imposed by COVID-19. Even if the rules imposed by the authorities are simple, no one respected the social distance and did not keep his mask on when he reached the terraces.
WHO experts and local authorities have imposed four simple rules of countries trying to return to normal:
1. keep a social distance of 1.5 meters;
2. to impose frequent hand washing;
3. to impose the wearing of protective masks in public spaces;
4. to do everything possible to prevent social overcrowding.
None of these rules have been followed since Monday in the main European countries.
The banks of the Seine were flooded by thousands of Parisians eager to socialize after being isolated for more than 50 days. The beautiful weather erased with the sponge from the collective memory the devastating balance caused by COVID-19: 178,000 sick and 27,000 dead. But they were not the only Europeans to "relax" over a beer.
In Prague, Czech Republic, thousands of locals took advantage of the beautiful weather and drank huge amounts of beer right on the sidewalks. However, only 8,200 contaminations and 260 deaths were recorded in the Czech Republic, due to prompt action by the authorities.
The Belgians also forgot about masks for months, but they respected social distance. They drank their beers in the parks, because the terraces and bars are still closed. Belgium recorded 54,000 illnesses and 8,800 deaths.
The terraces were also opened in Switzerland on Monday, after the authorities announced the balance of the two months of nightmare: 30,000 contaminations and 1,800 deaths.
The terraces and promenades in Madrid, Barcelona and Tarragona were stormed and people drank cold beer forgetting that they are not allowed to gather in groups of 10 people and must wear masks.
After recording a record balance of 270,000 contaminations and over 27,000 deaths, Spain's population of 47 million seems to ignore the recommendations of the government led by Pedro Sanchez, which recommends caution. “The temptation of a cold beer is too great and no one thinks about the consequences ".
The Austrians were more cautious than their German neighbors and have not yet opened the terraces and bars, preferring to drink beer in the parks at the appropriate distance. In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the restaurants opened on Saturday, but only two people sat at the tables and drank beer in a mug with surgical gloves in their hands.
Do you drink a lot while you sit at home?
The head of the Ministry of Health, Mikhail Murashko, during a speech in the State Duma, said that in Russia during the pandemic of the coronavirus COVID-19, people egan to die more often from alcohol. He did not provide statistics, but noted that it is based on operational monitoring data on mortality rates.
Murashko also recalled the agency’s initiative to increase the age of alcohol sales from 18 to 21 years. According to him, now it is precisely from the age of 18 that mortality rates increase sharply, especially in men. And this must be fought.
Murashko noted that in conditions of self-isolation, the consumption of alcoholic beverages increased by 2-3%. However, alcohol in the current situation can have a negative effect on immunity, making you more vulnerable to the virus.
There are a lot of interesting stuff to do at home during the pandemic. It is the moment to spend all your time with your family, plan healthy meals and do sport. Maybe is the time to lose some weight? Do some exercises. Or maybe you want to increase your knowledge, so here you go with online courses.
Do not perceive alcohol as a method to waste your time during quarantine!
These simple rules will help you stay healthy at your workplace during the coronavirus.
- Keep the social distance.
When you walk fast, run, ride a bicycle, it can increase to 4–20 meters.
If you keep such a distance with others, the smallest droplets of saliva that will not reach you when talking, coughing, breathing will cause another, possibly infected person. And you, in turn, do not share your own.
2. Try changing your work schedule.
Your task is to make it possible to get to work and leave it before or after rush hour. In this case, you don’t have to jostle in crowded public transport or walk along crowded streets where it is difficult to maintain distance.
Talk to your boss: maybe you will meet and shift your working hours.
3. Use less public transport
If possible, get to the place of work by your car or bike or walk. Naturally, at a safe distance from others.
And try not to use elevators. Even if the cab comes empty, you don’t know who was riding it 10 seconds before you. The virus can still remain in the air.
4. Wear a mask on the way to work
On the street, if you are absolutely healthy, and there are few people around, you can walk without it. But only if the authorities of your region do not require otherwise.
5. Wear a mask in the workplace
You need to wear it all day for your safety.
At the same time, you need to wear a mask correctly. Here's what the WHO recommends:
- Do not touch the mask with your hands after putting it on. If you still touch, wash your hands with soap or treat with an antiseptic gel.
- As soon as the mask becomes wet from breathing, replace it with a new one. Usually you have to do this every two hours.
- Only remove the mask by the mounts. In no case do not touch the part that is adjacent to the face. After this, the disposable medical mask should be immediately discarded, the reusable - sent to the wash.
6. Disinfect hands
The primary transmission route for coronaviruses is via airborne droplets. But there is a risk of contracting by the contact way: first, touch the surface on which the coronavirus donkeys, and then touch the mucous membrane of the nose, mouth, or eyes.
Therefore, it is extremely important to wash your hands regularly during a pandemic. Best of all - with warm water and soap, at least 20 seconds. If there is no access to water, you can treat your hands with an antiseptic or alcohol wipes. Make sure that the alcohol in these products was at least 70%.
The face shield is very effective. It does not make breathing difficult, and glasses do not fog up. According to scientists from the University of Iowa, the face shield reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19 by 96% if an infected person coughs in your face. And even if you contact the patient for 30 minutes, the shield will protect you by 80%.
For comparison: the effectiveness of disposable medical masks ranges from 60 to 75%. For homemade fabric masks, this number varies depending on the material, from 40 to 90%, and for a respirator reaches 95%.
The face shield does not need to be washed and wait until it dries, it can be disinfected with soap and water or a 70% solution of alcohol, as recommended by use of personal protective equipment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and considerations regarding the situation of their acute shortage of WHO. And it is reusable, unlike surgical masks. Yes, and it interferes with touching your face.
For optimal protection, the visor should completely cover your chin and forehead, so choose the right size. Ideally, the shield should be worn with the mask. So you cover both your mouth and face skin and eyes.
If you do not know where to buy such a shield, you can make it yourself with a simple instruction.
The number of cases of coronavirus in the world as of May 13, according to Johns Hopkins University, exceeded 4.2 million. But in some countries, depending on the specific epidemiological situation, the previously introduced restrictions are gradually mitigated. In Europe, quarantine measures were started in April.
In India, after seven weeks of quarantine, rail links partially opened. Flights from several major cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai, became available. Passengers control the temperature, they must treat their hands with a disinfectant when boarding the train and at the end of the trip.
In Germany, people returned to the gyms.
Czech authorities allowed restaurants to open summer verandas.
In Israel, parks were opened and allowed to use outdoor sports equipment while maintaining social distance.
In Bangladesh, some factories, logistics services and shops were allowed to return to work, but with limited working hours.
Schools are gradually returning to work in France: indoors, social distance must be respected, so most children will continue to study remotely.
In Los Angeles were opened walking trails. In crowded places, such as parking, the use of masks is mandatory.
In Switzerland were opened shops, museums and libraries.
Hairdressers opened in Turkey.
In the UK, people were allowed to sunbathe in the parks nearby from housing and to engage in sports without restrictions.
Iranian authorities opened mosques during several holy nights of Ramadan.
In Buenos Aires (Argentina) opened bookstores and children's stores.
In the Australian state of Victoria, people are allowed to meet friends and families. At home, you can receive up to five guests, and walking on the street - in a company consisting of a maximum of ten people.
