Italy plays down coronavirus risk as death toll rises, cases jump

[webfact]

Italy plays down coronavirus risk as death toll rises, cases jump

By Crispian Balmer and Gavin Jones

 

An electric scooter is pictured in San Carlo square, as a coronavirus outbreak continues to grow in northern Italy, in Turin, Italy, February 27, 2020. REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

 

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's government, desperate to stave off a likely recession, played down on Thursday the gravity of an outbreak of coronavirus, the worst yet seen in Europe, saying it only impacted a tiny fraction of the country.

 

But even as ministers took to the airwaves with reassuring messages, officials said the death toll had risen by five from Wednesday to 17, while the number of people who tested positive for the illness increased by more than 200, to 650.

 

"The epidemic of misleading information will do more damage to Italy than the risk of the virus epidemic itself," Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told a news conference. "Only 0.1% of the country is involved."

 

The coronavirus continues to spread across Europe but Italy is the epicentre. In other European states for example, Germany has some 27 cases, France around 18 cases, and Spain 15.

 

Analysts have warned that the outbreak looks set to shunt Italy's fragile economy into its fourth recession in 12 years, with many businesses in the wealthy north close to a standstill and hotels reporting a wave of cancellations.

 

Bologna-based think-tank Prometeia forecast on Thursday that gross domestic product would fall for a second quarter running in the first quarter and decline by 0.3% in 2020 as a whole.

 

Even though the outbreak is focused on a small cluster of towns in Lombardy and neighbouring Veneto, the local authorities have banned public events across the regions and closed schools, universities, cinemas, theatres and museums.

 

Italian authorities now seem concerned that their draconian measures to halt the spread of the virus, including widespread testing of people who had no symptoms, will take a heavy toll on the fragile economy.

 

World Health Organisation official Walter Ricciardi said on Thursday Italy's large-scale testing in affected areas was not in line with WHO guidelines followed in other countries.

 

A growing list of countries around the world have reported cases of coronavirus in the last two days because of contacts with Italy. Israel said on Thursday it was barring entry to non-Israelis who had visited Italy in the past two weeks.

 

Italian health officials stressed that despite the rising number of cases, the number that had been hospitalized and fully recovered had risen to 45.

 

QUARANTINE

In a setback to efforts to present a healthy face to the world, the governor of the region of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana, took to Facebook to announce he had placed himself in quarantine after one of his staff came down with the disease.

 

"For now I don't have any type of infection so I can continue to work ... but for two weeks I will try to live in a sort of self-isolation," he said, donning a surgical mask.

 

The previous day medical experts in Italy had stressed that such masks served no useful function for those not infected.

 

In another case in Milan, professional services firm Ernst & Young said a staff member had tested positive and they had instructed their employees in northern Italy to work from home.

 

A significant spread of the outbreak to Italy's financial capital, with a population of 1.4 million people, has been one of the authorities' main fears.

 

The right-wing opposition League party has accused Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of mishandling the crisis and called on Thursday for the creation of a government of national unity.

 

"The important thing is not to sink. With Conte, Italy is sinking. We are willing to row in a lifeboat for the time strictly necessary to return to democratic normality," League leader Matteo Salvini told reporters.

 

"This government team is not fit to handle normality, let alone an emergency."

 

The government dismissed the attack and vowed to forge ahead to overcome one of the most serious crises Italy has had to deal with for years.

 

Asked on Thursday if it wasn't time for a unity government, Conte said: "We already have one. The government is united for the nation."

 

(Additional reporting by Angelo Amante, Elvira Pollina, Stephen Jewkes and Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Peter Graff and Alexandra Hudson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-28

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[4MyEgo]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

saying it only impacted a tiny fraction of the country.

Der and that's it started in China then spread like the clap.......

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"This government team is not fit to handle normality, let alone an emergency."

sure applies here in thailand

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

But even as ministers took to the airwaves with reassuring messages

This Italy or Iran ? 

[30la]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"The epidemic of misleading information will do more damage to Italy than the risk of the virus epidemic itself," Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told a news conference. "Only 0.1% of the country is involved."

Hey Di Maio, you would be fine in the Thai government, you have the same worries that they have here, less tourists (money) and who cares about the possible dead!
The flu is always something to be taken seriously, many exaggerate and cause panic, others like you and Minister Pipat think they are experts and only know how to think about money.
My personal opinion of Di Maio; a man without balls who wants to be always in the middle of the interest costs what it costs!

[jasonsamui55]

6 hours ago, YetAnother said:

sure applies here in thailand

Understatement of the year! 

[Berkshire]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

9 hours ago, webfact said:

But even as ministers took to the airwaves with reassuring messages

This Italy or Iran ? 

Actually, our President just did the same.  The President of the USA that is. 

[Krataiboy]

1 hour ago, rhyddid said:

Sure, if you do not check you will have 0 infections.

Indeed its a seasonal flu and someone is making hell of money out of this flu .

You could be right, as cases are turning up in places and among people with no links to anywhere or anyone with the virus.

 

The only people who will be disappointed if your theory turns out to be correct will be the Big Pharma and their investors.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Krataiboy

[VocalNeal]

Well if the cases jump they are obviously not dead and not that sick?

[mauGR1]

5 hours ago, 30la said:

Hey Di Maio, you would be fine in the Thai government, you have the same worries that they have here, less tourists (money) and who cares about the possible dead!
The flu is always something to be taken seriously, many exaggerate and cause panic, others like you and Minister Pipat think they are experts and only know how to think about money.
My personal opinion of Di Maio; a man without balls who wants to be always in the middle of the interest costs what it costs!

Well, Di Maio is right, the panic so far is doing more damage than the flu.

[Annet]

Coronavirus is the thing that may be dangerous for those with weak immune system. If we talk about the "victims" of it, we will see that these are mostly old people who've already had some diseases. Tbh, I see no point in worry because, come on, Ebola had also been a thing some time ago and so what? Who even remembers it now?

[overherebc]

I like a good 'mull' so here goes.

What do people reckon would have happened if China had kept the whole thing quiet, or, said only, there's a new type of corona virus out there and it can be very serious if you're elderly and already have some serious health problems. It appears to be very contagious and will spread faster, or as fast as seasonal flu.

Re' above.

Would there have been the same level of 'panic' there is now? 

In a previous 'mull' I mentioned that maybe sticking all the covid 19 patients together with all the seasonal flu patients, just in case, might not have been the best idea. eg Cruise Ship Diamond Princess.

So far the % of deaths to infections is what? 1 to 2%?  but we won't know the real % until it's all over.

Some reports say some/most? people will have fairly mild effects and others serious effects from it. Who, or WHO really knows or do they?

 

 

 

Buy me a drink

sing me a song

Take me as I come

'cause I can't stay long.

Edited March 1, 2020 by overherebc

[overherebc]

On 2/28/2020 at 1:53 PM, rhyddid said:

Sure, if you do not check you will have 0 infections.

Indeed its a seasonal flu and someone is making hell of money out of this flu .

I'm starting to agree the actual covid 19 is a 'new seasonal flu' but it 'seems' to spread at a faster rate.

Things 'I' we would like to know.

Does the wuflu virus live longer than the bog standard flu virus outside your body?

Does temperature have a big effect on it. ( Weather temperature that is ).

Must be more questions without answers out there.

[Tayaout]

On 2/28/2020 at 3:18 PM, mauGR1 said:

Well, Di Maio is right, the panic so far is doing more damage than the flu.

Then why did the authorities overreacted by putting 11 cities under lockdown? 

 

Look at what they do not what they say. They obviously don't want the populace to panic more. 

[mauGR1]

14 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Look at what they do not what they say.

Yes, but even among the politicians there are different opinions, and obviously a bad choice may have very bad consequences.

I just said that, in my opinion, panic so far is doing more damage then the flu.

[Dumbastheycome]

2 hours ago, overherebc said:

I'm starting to agree the actual covid 19 is a 'new seasonal flu' but it 'seems' to spread at a faster rate.

Things 'I' we would like to know.

Does the wuflu virus live longer than the bog standard flu virus outside your body?

Does temperature have a big effect on it. ( Weather temperature that is ).

Must be more questions without answers out there.

Good  question about temperature/weather. Is it not true that most of the countries where infection rates are high that they also locals that are currently cold and wintery in general? As is China.

I noticed someone IMO incorrectly claim the weather in China and Thailand are similar !

In other locations such as  Singapore it would be interesting to know what percentage of identified  persons live or  work in  airconditioned  buildings?

I did  see the virus  survival time on  surfaces recently and  from memory was two days on fabrics  and up to 9 days on plastics. Attributed difference due to residual humidity and temperature. It  does appear this  virus  likes  cold and dry to hover  about on.

[overherebc]

22 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Good  question about temperature/weather. Is it not true that most of the countries where infection rates are high that they also locals that are currently cold and wintery in general? As is China.

I noticed someone IMO incorrectly claim the weather in China and Thailand are similar !

In other locations such as  Singapore it would be interesting to know what percentage of identified  persons live or  work in  airconditioned  buildings?

I did  see the virus  survival time on  surfaces recently and  from memory was two days on fabrics  and up to 9 days on plastics. Attributed difference due to residual humidity and temperature. It  does appear this  virus  likes  cold and dry to hover  about on.

Just thought of another question.

I noticed that the 'info boards' see attached, mention feeling unwell, high temperature, coughing and possible breathing difficulties.

Massively snotty nose isn't mentioned. Not sure if that's important or not.

[Dumbastheycome]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

Just thought of another question.

I noticed that the 'info boards' see attached, mention feeling unwell, high temperature, coughing and possible breathing difficulties.

Massively snotty nose isn't mentioned. Not sure if that's important or not.

A snotty nose is  not a general symptom apparently. A  dry hacking cough is.

[overherebc]

27 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

A snotty nose is  not a general symptom apparently. A  dry hacking cough is.

That would take me back to my thoughts on people getting a flu like illness, how many get a really bad cold and call it flu, being lumped in with real Covid 19 cases

Stick them all in the same place for a while and wuflu loves it.

[metisdead]

A post using a trolling meme has been removed. 

[White Christmas13]

1 hour ago, Dumbastheycome said:

A snotty nose is  not a general symptom apparently. A  dry hacking cough is.

I better don't go anywhere then, I have a dry hacking cough

for years ever since I quit smoking.

[Jester69]

On 2/28/2020 at 9:55 AM, 30la said:

Hey Di Maio, you would be fine in the Thai government, you have the same worries that they have here, less tourists (money) and who cares about the possible dead!
The flu is always something to be taken seriously, many exaggerate and cause panic, others like you and Minister Pipat think they are experts and only know how to think about money.
My personal opinion of Di Maio; a man without balls who wants to be always in the middle of the interest costs what it costs!

EVERYONE PLEASE KEEP YOUR PANTS ON............. why are you so paranoid you will die from this? There is a flu that is gaining momentum so the "Isoloation" is purely to reduce the possibility of spreading to those who may suffer from respiratory disease and these are the people most at RISK, not the average person. How many have died who have had the disease Vs those who have survived? The current success rate is is approximately 98.5% success to survive. More people die from heat Exhaustion in the UK alone - with no virus

 

An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί epi "upon or above" and δῆμος demos "people") is the rapid spread of infectious disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time, usually two weeks or less.

 

It would seem that the word EPIDEMIC has been over subscribed with COVID-19. The main reason for concern is that if you are unlucky enough to catch this disease in your lungs, then that is when it is serious. Doctors are not worried about this past that extent because there is no direct medication to kill the virus yet.

 

So wash your hands with a medical grade handwash and dont touch your face and you will be ok precious ...........lol

 

[ThaiBunny]

13 minutes ago, Jester69 said:

EVERYONE PLEASE KEEP YOUR PANTS ON............. why are you so paranoid you will die from this? There is a flu that is gaining momentum so the "Isoloation" is purely to reduce the possibility of spreading to those who may suffer from respiratory disease and these are the people most at RISK, not the average person. How many have died who have had the disease Vs those who have survived? The current success rate is is approximately 98.5% success to survive. More people die from heat Exhaustion in the UK alone - with no virus

 

An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί epi "upon or above" and δῆμος demos "people") is the rapid spread of infectious disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time, usually two weeks or less.

 

It would seem that the word EPIDEMIC has been over subscribed with COVID-19. The main reason for concern is that if you are unlucky enough to catch this disease in your lungs, then that is when it is serious. Doctors are not worried about this past that extent because there is no direct medication to kill the virus yet.

 

So wash your hands with a medical grade handwash and dont touch your face and you will be ok precious ...........lol

They hear "virus" and "pandemic" and think "Ebola"