Coronavirus prep

SModa61 wrote: »

Hey all, I've been MIA for a bit. I have managed to keep health aspect of MFP somewhat in control but that's about it.

Anyhow I am here hoping to get insights. If I recall correctly, there are at least two Italian members in this chat thread. I am going to recount my MIL's comments and hoping to get perspective from those living in Italy.

According to MIL, she called her more distant family who live in a very small town in the Abruzzo region. What has been said is that it is "very bad" over there. They are under strict lockdown with police patrolling the streets. They cannot walk up the street to check on relatives, and to go to the grocery store one must product some sort of card. She also states that a local nursing home was given the vaccine and "43 still got sick", and that 79 town residents who received the vaccine also contracted COVID.

Of course I can think of scenarios where one could receive the vaccine and still get sick, but MIL seems to know nothing else and the overall implication was that the vaccine that italy got "does not work".

Anyone have insights to share? I would appreciate knowing more about the Italy situation so I can share that information with my MIL.

I went online to get News from the Abruzzo region of Italy. First of all, all of Italy is in Lockdown starting today until April 6th to cover the Easter holidays. Certain regions are worse than others--Abruzzo being one.

All of us have to have a "permission slip" that is downloaded on internet and you need it if the police stop you to ask where you are going. Doctor appointments, going to work, shopping at grocery stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, church services (with strict distancing rules), and other essential services are permitted (the police may check to see if you really have an appointment). You can go for a walk (near your residence) or go jogging, walking in the park, exercises, etc, but only individually, no group outdoor sessions, and always close to home.

All restaurants, pastry shops, bars, etc are closed to customers--take out only. Masks must be on properly. No group assemblies, or going outside your region. Fines are steep for noncompliance.

Vaccinations are proceeding all over the country. First to be vaccinated were medical personnel, police, over 90, nursing homes, and teachers. They are now doing over 80 and military personnel also.

Our first vaccines were Pfizer and Moderna. Astra Zeneca has been added after European Union approval several weeks ago. It was to be used on police and military. 2 deaths within 24 hours of the vaccine. One was a 45 yr old military man. He had no previous health problems. It's too soon to say what exactly happened. His wife said he was fine and then in the night, arrested and quickly died. The statistics of the vaccine still have a low death rate and it's not been determined that the vaccine caused these deaths. Soon Johnson and Johnson will arrive, and the Russian Sputnik is waiting approval.

I'd like to be clear that we've been on a sort of mini Lockdown since Christmas. There have been restrictions all along. Things were loosened up a little--now we're back to strict. Abruzzo has a higher COVID infection rate than the majority of the country. The English variant is rampaging there. They are behind in vaccinations for the over 80 group compared to the rest of the country. Hospitals are full and there have been patient airlifts, especially to us, here in Rome.

As far as your MIL's family is concerned, without knowing the name of the town, I can't give you specifics for them, so don't know their situation. Some of the things you're reporting seem strange, but I don't want to say she's wrong and it's not happening. In these times who knows what their mayor might do to stop the infection?

Your reporter in Rome........

SModa61 wrote: »

@Gisel2015 @jenilla1 @snowflake954 Thank you so much for your replies. The town my MIL is from is Orsogna. Please do note that what I have written above is third hand and sourced from a very concerned 81 year old, so who knows how details may have been altered along the way. The telephone game is real!

As for the nursing homes and community contractions post vaccine, I have heard and read plenty about the time it takes for immunity to be established, and also the scenario where people become overly confident post vaccine and cause their own exposures. I have even heard claims of getting COVID from standing in line for the vaccine. I do not have any other details of illness timeline or severity that would help parse the causality.

Snowflake, it will be interesting to see if you have any further insights using the town's name.

Thanks all!

I went on the town's web page. As of March 9th, they have 2 recovered and 15 new positives, giving them 37 positive COVID cases overall. In the retirement home Casa del Sole (House of the Sun), there are 42 being constantly monitored--doing fine.

If your MIL can read Italian, it might do to let her see for herself, if it would set her mind at ease. The site warns against gatherings during Lockdown and that the local authorities will levy fines. I think the confusion with her reporting that they need a "card" to go to the supermarket is because in Italian "carte" means two things: it can be a card, such as a credit card ( carte di credito) or it can be a piece of paper (foglio di carte). What you need if you're out and about now is that piece of paper that you download and fill out yourself with address, phone number and reason for leaving your home. However, I've never been stopped and lots of people like me are pulling their shopping trolley, so it's obvious where you're going. The police won't bother you. There is a curfew, and they will stop people about after it. To tell the truth, the police are sick of this whole thing too.

SModa61 wrote: »

thank you so much @snowflake954 Can you do me a favor? I have tried searching for a town web page type and I get nothing like what you are describing. Can you provide me the link? Google hates me. I would love to offer the web page to my MIL. My husband might even remember his Italian well enough but its been a long time since Italian was his sole language.

Ha! You are asking a computer illiterate to give you a link. Do this: type in orsogna. Then when the choices pop up click on Comune di Orsogna (Chieti) Italy. This will put you on their page.

Here's their address: comune.orsogna.chieti.it

Hope that gets you there.

hobbitses333 wrote: »

https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/three-things-cannot-be-long-hidden-the-sun-the-moon-and-the-truth/

cwolfman13 wrote: »

hobbitses333 wrote: »

This is one of the reasons why memes make for bad "news"...they're usually not factual. I'm always amazed at the number of people on FB or twitter or whatever who actually present memes as factual "news" and legitimate debate.

Well also the "truth" when it comes to science is often complicated and what we know and understand today may not be the same as next month or year. Or you need to understand some context and background before really understanding the science -- which is not generally conveyed through a meme even a good one. People by nature want hard and fast facts that are easy to digest...science doesn't really work that way.

I have a red itchy rash, similar to hives or eczema, came on within about a week of the 1st shot (Pfizer). I've had eczema prior to the shot, but was not in an active break out, and usually my eczema confined itself to my elbow area. This rash has appeared on my forehead, wrists, forearms, ankles and maybe my back (I can't see but it itches too). My feet and hands feel like they itch terribly but there is no rash there, just itch. I don't know for sure that it is a side effect of the shot or if it is something else that is doing this which I cannot determine. I hate the itch.