View allAll Photos Tagged Epidemiologic
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Street photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
Colour re-edit of a shot from September 2020 that, for me, really sums up the "epidemiological stupidity" of decisions being made in England on July 19th 2021. Thankfully a slightly more cautious approach is being taken here in Scotland but that message is weakened by the actions taken south of the border. Stay safe my Flickr Friends!
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Candid street photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
Captured in April 2019. As 'hugging' is set to be 'permitted' in England again soon I think it is sensible that we all remember just how this virus spreads and how quickly it can get out of control. Medical and epidemiological experts are expressing that we must be more cautious than perhaps the government message is portraying. Stay safe everyone!
#mentalhealthawarenessweek
The virus was confirmed to have reached Latvia on 2 March 2020, having been brought along with people returning from abroad.
The government of Latvia declared a state of emergency on 13 March 2020 with a number of epidemiological safety measures and restrictions, primarily limiting gatherings, TRAVEL, most public venues, and educational institutions.
I was on holiday at home when new restriction plan was declared. My trip back to UK was supposed to be on 14th March but as per new measures Latvia was going to close the borders and cancel all travels out to UK. I managed to book the flight and return to UK with The Last Plane To UK, that left Latvia 11th March
KAvZ – 651A
USSR, 1971
This 25-seater passenger bus built on the basis of the cargo vehicle GAZ 51 was constructed by the GAZ experimental department. However the series production started in 1949 in Gorky bus factory (GZA). The bodywork is constructed of wood framework with metal plating. Unfortunately due to limited production area GZA was unable to carry on with the mass production. Therefore in 1952 the production of these busses was transferred to Pavlovo bus factory (PAZ).
The same kind of bus was also produced here in Riga in auto-repair factory Nr. 2 (later RAF) in the early 50's.
The production of the bus with an all-metal body commenced in Pavlovo in 1957 (PAZ 651A) and in Kurgan in 1958 (KAvZ 651A). However in Kazan these busses, also the one on display, were built as sanitary-epidemiological laboratories "AL-52".
The exhibit on display was found in Valka in 2004, where it was serving as an anglers hut down by the lake. The vehicle was restored in the bus version (the saloon is still not complete) by the owner Aivars Krūmiņš.
Technical data:
Engine capacity 3480 cm³
Number of cylinders 6
Power 70 HP
Max speed 70 km/h
Mass in running order 3350 kg
Happy Truck Thursday!
The adult Spotted Lantern Fly or Lycra deliculata (Order Hemiptera), a plant hopper accidentally introduced from Asia, and now a "quarantined" epidemiologic pest throughout Bucks and Montgomery Counties, threatens the grapes, pines, stone fruits and apple trees.
From an epidemiological point of view, this photo spot is the absolute worst case scenario: the summit of the Belchenflue is just a narrow rock ridge and at sunrise photographers who want to photograph the wave of fog and hikers who just want to enjoy the sunrise crowd here. At least you are in the fresh air and this morning there was also a strong wind, which (hopefully) kept the risk of infection low. But it is the best place to photograph the fog wave and autumn is also the best time for it
LE REGOLE COVID SONO MIGLIORATE MA ANCHE L'ISTRUZIONE ???
Il ministero dell’Istruzione ha comunicato agli istituti le misure di prevenzione da mettere in campo per l’inizio dell’anno scolastico, stilate insieme al dicastero della Salute e all’Iss. Tornano i docenti e il personale scolastico non vaccinati, stop alla quarantena per i contatti con i positivi, rimarrà a casa solo lo studente con sintomi da Covid. Previsto un secondo livello di norme da attuare in caso di peggioramento della situazione epidemiologica.
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COVID RULES ARE IMPROVED BUT EDUCATION ALSO ???
The Ministry of Education has communicated to the institutes the preventive measures to be put in place for the beginning of the school year, drawn up together with the Department of Health and the ISS. Unvaccinated teachers and school staff are back, stop quarantine for contacts with positives, only the student with Covid symptoms will remain at home. A second level of rules is foreseen to be implemented in the event of a worsening of the epidemiological situation.
CANON EOS 6D Mark II con ob. CANON EF 100 mm f./2,8 L Macro IS USM
An unwelcome visitor in the garden - Asian tiger mosquito.
"This mosquito has become a significant pest in many communities because it closely associates with humans (rather than living in wetlands), and typically flies and feeds in the daytime in addition to at dusk and dawn. The insect is called a tiger mosquito for its striped appearance, which resembles that of the tiger. Ae. albopictus is an epidemiologically important vector for the transmission of many viral pathogens, including the yellow fever virus, dengue fever, and Chikungunya fever,[2] as well as several filarial nematodes such as Dirofilaria immitis.[3] Aedes albopictus is capable of hosting the Zika virus[4][5] and is considered a potential vector for Zika transmission among humans." - Wikipedia
With 25 mm tube
7 November 2020: Update on The Corona Pandemic – There is some encouraging news from the Covid front. Belgium is seeing a slight fall in the number of infections and there are initial indications that the number of people being hospitalised is also falling. The number of patients in intensive care continues to rise, but the rate of increase is slowing. The lockdown efforts are starting to pay-off but the way down is still long and we are going to have to stick to the current regime for a long time before we enter safer waters. Meanwhile, the US set a daily record for new cases for the third straight day, with more than 129,000 new cases on Friday. Whilst Joe Biden is edging closer to victory many people in Europe wonder if he also will be able to govern and take the necessary actions to get the country back on track. At the moment, it seems likely that the Senate — which is wildly unrepresentative of the American people — will remain in the hands of the republicans who will undoubtfully sabotage Biden in every way it can. The skewed electoral system in the US means that Trump’s party will still be in a position to cripple the next president’s ability to deal with the huge epidemiological, economic and environmental problems the country face. To cheer me up I continue to capture scenes from my hometown – Reep, Ghent, Belgium
26 February 2021: In the week to 22 February on average 2293 people tested positive each day in Belgium. The figure is up 23% on the week. In light of these deteriorating statistics the group of experts that advises the government stated that the present epidemiological situation does not allow for any relaxations during the next four weeks. I’m wondering what the latest say of the government will be. Will they be able to resist the mounting demand of pressure groups requesting immediate relaxation of the current measures? Me personally, I’m in full agreement with the experts: there is no leeway for relaxations in March. Since the figures started rising during the weekend, Ghent has reported the highest fourteen-day average for coronavirus infections out of all the major cities in Belgium. The symptoms with which patients present themselves at the hospital are generally more severe than in previous weeks. Additionally, patients are also deteriorating faster. Around half of the patients who tested positive for the virus in the hospital are requiring intensive care, and new hospital admissions are no longer mainly elderly people. According to a lung specialist at the University Hospital of Ghent, these symptoms are typical of the start of a new wave. Let’s hope for the best and prepare for the worse. Meanwhile, in between ongoing video conferences I’m finding joy in taking pictures in Ghent and surroundings and/or in curating images out of my archive. Today’s post is from the midst of this year’s winter snap, just over a week ago – Citadelpark, Ghent, Belgium.
Le curva dell’uliveto (Foto del Mese n.120 – Aprile 2020)
Con questa foto dell’amico Roberto Meli celebriamo il decennale della rubrica La Foto del Mese e un memorabile avvenimento per tutti gli appassionati dei treni storici.
La foto, infatti rievoca il ritorno di un treno a vapore in Sicilia, nei primi giorni di maggio 2019, in occasione della Fiera Mediterranea del cavallo.
Il convoglio messo a disposizione dalla Fondazione FS e trainato dalla locomotiva Gr..685.089 ha percorso la linea da Catania a Militello in più giorni e con più corse. Un grande successo che auspichiamo possa ripetersi presto, non appena sarà superata l’attuale emergenza epidemiologica.
Per commentare questa e le altre foto del mese
www.a-f-s.forumattivo.com/f13-la-foto-del-mese
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The curve of the olive grove (Photo of the Month n.120 - April 2020)
This photo of his friend Roberto Meli celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Photo of the Month section and a memorable event for all fans of historic trains.
The photo, in fact, recalls the return of a steam train to Sicily, in the first days of May 2019, for the Mediterranean Horse Fair.
The train offered by the FS Foundation and towed by the locomotive Gr..685.089 traveled the line from Catania to Militello in several days and with multiple journeys. A great success that we hope will be repeated soon, when the current epidemiological emergency will pass away.
To comment on this and other photos of the month
A siesta (Spanish, meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal.
Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm.
The siesta is historically common throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe.
It is the traditional daytime sleep of Spain and, through Spanish influence, the Philippines, and many Hispanic American countries.
In Dalmatia (coastal Croatia), the traditional afternoon nap is known as fjaka (from Italian fiacca).
The Spanish word siesta derives originally from the Latin word hora sexta "sixth hour" (counting from dawn, hence "midday rest").
Factors explaining the geographical distribution of the modern siesta are high temperatures and heavy intake of food at the midday meal.
Combined, these two factors contribute to the feeling of post-lunch drowsiness.
In many countries that practice the siesta, the heat can be unbearable in the early afternoon, making a midday break at home welcome.
CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS: The siesta habit has been associated with a 37 percent reduction in coronary mortality, possibly due to reduced cardiovascular stress mediated by daytime sleep.
Epidemiological studies on the relations between cardiovascular health and siesta have led to conflicting conclusions, possibly because of poor control of confounding variables, such as physical activity.
It is possible that people who take a siesta have different physical activity habits, for example, waking earlier and scheduling more activity during the morning.
Such differences in physical activity may lead to different 24-hour profiles in cardiovascular function.
Even if such effects of physical activity can be discounted in explaining the relationship between siesta and cardiovascular health, it is still not known whether the daytime nap itself, a supine posture, or the expectancy of a nap is the most important factor.
(Source: Wikipedia: Keyword: Siesta)
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Una siesta corta se toma temprano en la tarde, a menudo después de la comida del mediodía.
Ese período de sueño es una tradición común en algunos países, particularmente en aquellos donde el clima es cálido.
La siesta es históricamente común en todo el Mediterráneo y el sur de Europa.
Es el sueño diurno tradicional de España y, por influencia española, Filipinas y muchos países hispanoamericanos.
En Dalmacia (Croacia costera), la siesta tradicional de la tarde se conoce como fjaka (del italiano fiacca).
La palabra española siesta deriva originalmente de la palabra latina "hora sexta" (contando desde el amanecer, por lo tanto, "descanso del mediodía").
Los factores que explican la distribución geográfica de la siesta moderna son las altas temperaturas y la gran ingesta de alimentos en la comida del mediodía.
Combinados, estos dos factores contribuyen a la sensación de somnolencia después del almuerzo.
En muchos países que practican la siesta, el calor puede ser insoportable a primera hora de la tarde, por lo que un descanso de mediodía en casa es bienvenido.
BENEFICIOS CARDIOVASCULARES: El hábito de la siesta se ha asociado con una reducción del 37 por ciento en la mortalidad coronaria, posiblemente debido a la reducción del estrés cardiovascular mediado por el sueño diurno.
Los estudios epidemiológicos sobre las relaciones entre la salud cardiovascular y la siesta han llevado a conclusiones contradictorias, posiblemente debido al control deficiente de variables de confusión, como la actividad física.
Es posible que las personas que duermen la siesta tengan diferentes hábitos de actividad física, por ejemplo, despertarse más temprano y programar más actividad durante la mañana.
Tales diferencias en la actividad física pueden conducir a diferentes perfiles de 24 horas en la función cardiovascular.
Incluso si tales efectos de la actividad física pueden descartarse al explicar la relación entre la siesta y la salud cardiovascular, todavía no se sabe si la siesta diurna en sí misma, la postura supina o la expectativa de una siesta es el factor más importante.
(Fuente: Wikipedia: Palabra clave: Siesta)
AKA The Foo Fighters.
No wonder Kurt blew his brains out if he had to hang out with Dave Grohl. If I had to hang out with such a retard I would probably do the same....
Funny how on their revamped website their causes page no longer carries a link to the HIV denialist group alive and well (AKA Dead and Buried)
However there is still online a version of their old causes page here:
www.foofighters.com/community_cause.html
So not so easy to erase this public display of continued denialism...
As for the rest the following article makes for interesting reading (it may be old but The Truth Fighters are still continuing to support Maggiore, and much more on her later...):
Foo Fighters, HIV Deniers
www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2000/02/foo.html
Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl wants you to forget what you think you know about AIDS.
News: A platinum-selling alt-rock group may be endangering their fans by promoting a dangerous myth.
By Silja J.A. Talvi
February 25, 2000
Some rock stars want to free Tibet. Others want to save Mumia. The Foo Fighters, on the other hand, want their fans to ignore accepted medical wisdom about AIDS.
The multimillion-album-selling alternative rock outfit has thrown its weight behind Alive and Well, an "alternative AIDS information group" that denies any link between HIV and AIDS. In January, Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel helped organize a sold-out concert in Hollywood to benefit the group. Foo fans were treated to a speech by Alive and Well founder Christine Maggiore, who believes AIDS may be caused by HIV-related medications, anal sex, stress, and drug use, and implies that people should not get tested for HIV nor take medications to counter the virus. Free copies of Maggiore's self-published book, "What If Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong?," in which she declares "there is no proof that HIV causes AIDS," were also passed out to the concert-goers.
HIV experts are alarmed by the possible impact of the Foo Fighters' embrace of Maggiore's theories on their potentially gullible young fans.
"Clearly, more research is needed on the factors that contribute to HIV infection and the development of AIDS," says Dorcus Crumbley of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. "However, the conclusions of more than two decades of epidemiologic, virologic, and medical research are that HIV infection is transmissible through sexual contact, injecting drug use, perinatally, and from receiving blood or blood products ... (and) the scientific evidence is overwhelming that HIV is the cause of AIDS."
Adds Crumbley: "The myth that HIV is not the primary cause of AIDS ... could cause (HIV-positive people) to reject treatment critical for their own health and for preventing transmission to others."
"When it comes to such a complex health topic, it behooves the band to have really researched what they are endorsing," says Diane Tanaka, an attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, where she works with a large population of high-risk and HIV-infected low-income youth. "(The Foo Fighters) have a big responsibility in terms of (their) public role and the impact that they can have on young people. Is this band willing to take responsibility for a young person engaging in risky, unprotected sex because of information they've gotten from the (Foo Fighters) or from Alive and Well?"
Alive and Well is one of several fringe groups that deny a link between HIV and AIDS. Similar theories have been put forth over the years by various far-right groups and anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists, and other so-called "HIV-refuseniks."
"Your risk of being hit by lightning is greater than that of contracting HIV through a one-time random sexual contact with someone you don't know here in America," says Maggiore, an HIV-positive Southern California resident with no formal training in medicine or the sciences. "And if (a young person) were to get a positive diagnosis, that does not mean they've been infected with HIV." The HIV-AIDS connection, maintains Maggiore, has been promoted by greedy drug companies.
Mendel says he was won over by Maggiore's book, and passed it around to the rest of the band, which includes former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Mendel says that he would steer anyone considering an HIV antibody test toward Maggiore's group.
"If you test positive, you are pretty much given a bleak outlook and told to take toxic drugs to possibly ward off new infections," says Mendel.
With the other band members on board, Mendel aims to use the Foo Fighters' celebrity to get the message out to a broad audience. The Foo Fighters plan additional benefit shows, and have placed a banner ad on their Web site linking to Alive and Well. Mendel says that he does not have HIV, nor does he have any friends with HIV besides Maggiore, who has remained asymptomatic.
The most recent numbers from the Joint United Nations' HIV/AIDS Program estimate that 16.3 million people worldwide have died of AIDS-related causes since 1981. Medical research in the United States indicates that as many as 25 percent of the nation's estimated 40,000 annual HIV infections occur among 13- to 21-year-olds. Maggiore, however, maintains that worldwide HIV infections and AIDS deaths are exaggerated by the CDC and the World Health Organization, even in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where two-thirds of the world's HIV-infected people live.
Maggiore's message has apparently penetrated the minds of at least some Foo aficionados. She says she has heard from many Foo fans since the show -- one of whom, she says, now works at the Alive and Well office.
"AIDS is a toxic disease caused by either long-term recreational drug abuse or short-term anti-HIV medications," writes a 22-year-old member of the Alive and Well-affiliated Students Reappraising AIDS on the Foo Fighters' Web-based message board. "HIV is not spread sexually, nor is it the cause of any disease."
Other fans are less impressed. Damian Purdy, a 21-year-old Winnipeg, Canada resident and devoted Foo Fighters fan, is outraged by the band's position. "By supporting this, the Foo Fighters have entered an arena that they have no business being in. The truth is that a rock concert is not the appropriate platform for these views to be expressed. I think the Foo Fighters have more influence than they realize," he says.
For his part, Mendel remains convinced that the media and the medical establishment are keeping the truth about HIV and AIDS from the public. The Foo Fighters, he insists, will continue to use their celebrity to bring "light to the issue."
Is he worried that the group might be endangering the lives of some of its listeners?
"I'm absolutely confident that I'm doing the right thing," Mendel answers. "No, I wouldn't feel responsible for possibly harming somebody. I (feel) I'm doing the opposite."
Pitaya plants also known as Dragon fruit are rich in naturally-occurring flavonoids, which are primarily found in dragon fruit peel. Flavonoids have a wide range of biological activities, such as cell proliferation-inhibiting, apoptosis-inducing, enzyme-inhibiting, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects (Cook and Samman, 1996; Havsteen, 2002; Middleton and Kandaswami, 1993). Moreover, some findings indicate that flavonoids\ has various clinical properties, such as antiatherosclerotic, antiinflammatory, antitumour, antithrombogenic, antiosteoporotic, and antiviral effects (Cook and Samman, 1996; Havsteen, 2002). Numerous epidemiological studies confirm significant relationship between the high dietary intake of flavonoids and the reduction of cardiovascular risk (Cook and Samman, 1996). The formulation of preventive and healthy nutrition requires information about phenolic and flavonoid composition in the dragon fruit waste.
source: medical health guide
8/365
My day is ending by writing about the similarities of the Epidemiologic transition and the demographic transition. Fun, right?
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
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Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
John Donne
“Nessun Uomo è un'isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics we happened in the past in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, died of the new coronavirus while trying to fight it, and of which he was trying to raise an alarm cry.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Le cronache riportano che in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in passato in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccide circa 30.000 persone nel breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, morto a causa del nuovo coronavirus mentre tentava di combatterlo, e del quale cercava di gettare un grido di allarme.
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Wuhan coronavirus kills doctor who warned of outbreak
New York mourns coronavirus whistle-blower doctor Li Wenliang
Per chi suona la campana di Ernest Hemingway.
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) Official Trailer - Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman Movie HD
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) - Suite - Victor Young
For Whom the Bell Tolls - Cooper & Bergman
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
Alagna, Valsesia, Italy. Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista (1515-1518), in the chapel of the right transept is a plastic group made in the late sixteenth century by Giovanni D’Enrico, a famous Alagnese sculptor, depicting the Virgin crowned with the baby Jesus in her arms and the Saints Sebastian and Roch, and being protectors against the plague may be (for the believers) they could help us overcome the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Even though I belong to the so-called 'scientific community', it doesn’t seem to me that my colleagues virologists can do any better than this nice couple of saints. I learned from my friend Carlo Cipolla, one of the greatest historian about the plague (Cipolla C. M., Cristofano and the Plague, London, Collins, 1973), that «in a world for which ecological disaster is tirelessly predicted from every scientific pulpit we can take heart from the courage of few determined men who with little means and no scientific knoweldge at their disposal stood their ground against so terrible an enemy». The epidemiological curve from the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic is quite similar to all curves of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history. Treatment is of no value yet, so what to do? Sanitary cordons; isolation of infected persons and contacts; quarantine; safe distance; cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze; stay home if you feel unwell; wash your hands. These are the recommendations that “for centuries” political decision-makers (!!!) have always made during pandemics that they have not been able to prevent or at least limit. Let’s be resigned, serene, tranquil and wait…It will be over!
Nyala
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.
To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").
The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.
(Wikipedia)
The lowland nyala or simply nyala (Tragelaphus angasii), is a spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Tragelaphus, previously placed in genus Nyala. It was first described in 1849 by George French Angas. The body length is 135–195 cm (53–77 in), and it weighs 55–140 kg (121–309 lb). The coat is maroon or rufous brown in females and juveniles, but grows a dark brown or slate grey, often tinged with blue, in adult males. Females and young males have ten or more white stripes on their sides. Only males have horns, 60–83 cm (24–33 in) long and yellow-tipped. It exhibits the highest sexual dimorphism among the spiral-horned antelopes. It is not to be confused with the endangered mountain nyala living in the Bale region of Ethiopia).
The nyala is mainly active in the early morning and the late afternoon. It generally browses during the day if temperatures are 20–30 °C (68–86 °F) and during the night in the rainy season. As a herbivore, the nyala feeds upon foliage, fruits and grasses, and requires sufficient fresh water. A shy animal, it prefers water holes rather than open spaces. The nyala does not show signs of territoriality, and individuals' areas can overlap. They are very cautious creatures. They live in single-sex or mixed family groups of up to 10 individuals, but old males live alone. They inhabit thickets within dense and dry savanna woodlands. The main predators of the nyala are lion, leopard and African wild dog, while baboons and raptorial birds prey on juveniles. Mating peaks during spring and autumn. Males and females are sexually mature at 18 and 11–12 months of age respectively, though they are socially immature until five years old. After a gestational period of seven months, a single calf is born.
The nyala's range includes Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It has been introduced to Botswana and Namibia, and reintroduced to Eswatini, where it had been extinct since the 1950s. Its population is stable, and it has been listed as of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The principal threats to the species are poaching and habitat loss resulting from human settlement. The males are highly prized as game animals in Africa.
Taxonomy and naming
The nyala was first described by George French Angas, an English naturalist, in 1849. The scientific name of nyala is Tragelaphus angasii. The name angasii is attributed to Angas, who said that John Edward Gray had named this species after Angas' father, George Fife Angas of South Australia. According to Article 50.1.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, though, this is insufficient to state Gray as the author. The name "nyala" is the Tsonga name for this antelope, which is likely the source of the English, along with Zulu inyala. Its first known use was in 1899. The word has a Bantu origin, similar to the Venda word dzì-nyálà (nyala buck).
The nyala is the second taxon to branch off from the tragelaphine family tree just after the lesser kudu. As the nyala line has remained separate for a considerable time (over 5 million years), some authorities have placed it in its own monotypic genus Nyala. Nyala was proposed in 1912 by American zoologist Edmund Heller, who also proposed Ammelaphus for the lesser kudu, but it was not widely recognized. It was re-erected as a valid genus in 2011 under the classification of Peter Grubb and Colin Groves, but has not been embraced by taxonomic authorities such as the Mammal Diversity Database.
In 2005, Sandi Willows-Munro (of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) and colleagues carried out a mitochondrial DNA analysis of the nine Tragelaphus species. Mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA data were compared. The results showed the tribe Tragelaphini to be monophyletic, with the lesser kudu (T. imberbis) basal in the phylogeny, followed by the nyala. On the basis of mitochondrial data, studies have estimated that the lesser kudu separated from its sister clade around 13.7 million years ago. However, nuclear DNA data shows lesser kudu and nyala forming a clade, which collectively separated from the sister clade 13.8 million years ago.
Genetics and evolution
The nyala has 55 male chromosomes and 56 female chromosomes. The Y chromosome has been translocated onto the 14th chromosome, as in other tragelaphids, but no inversion of the Y chromosome occurs. Cranial studies have shown that the mountain nyala and nyala, though sharing a common name, are actually distant relatives.
Fossil evidence suggests that the nyala has been a separate species since the end of the Miocene (5.8 million years ago). Genetic evidence suggests that the proto-nyala had some early hybridization with the proto-lesser kudu, but the two have remained separate long after this crossing.
Physical description
The nyala is a spiral-horned and middle-sized antelope, between a bushbuck and a kudu. It is considered the most sexually dimorphic antelope.[The nyala is typically between 135–195 cm (53–77 in) in head-and-body length. The male stands up to 110 cm (43 in), the female is up to 90 cm (3.0 ft) tall. Males weigh 98–125 kg (216–276 lb), while females weigh 55–68 kg (121–150 lb). Life expectancy of the nyala is about 19 years.
The coat is rusty or rufous brown in females and juveniles. It grows a dark brown or slate grey in adult males, often with a bluish tinge. Females and young males have ten or more white vertical stripes on their sides. Other markings are visible on the face, throat, flanks and thighs. Stripes are very reduced or absent in older males. Both males and females have a white chevron between their eyes, and a 40–55 cm (16–22 in) long bushy tail white underside. Both sexes have a dorsal crest of hair running right from the back of the head to the end of the tail. Males have another line of hair along the midline of their chest and belly.
Only the males have horns. Horns are 60–83 cm (24–33 in) long and yellow-tipped. There are one or two twists.The spoor is similar to that of the bushbuck, but larger. It is 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) long. The feces resemble round to spherical pellets. The nyala has hairy glands on its feet, which leave their scent wherever it walks.
The condition of the nyala often varies between the sexes. According to a study, this can be attributed to the differences in their body sizes. It was noted that during nutritional stress, old adults died in more numbers, of which most were males. During an attempt of blood sampling in the nyala, it was found that Vitamin E levels varied during stress.
Parasites
A study of the helminths from 77 nyalas from four game reserves in Natal revealed the presence of ten nematode species and four nematode genera, a trematode species and paramphistomes (members of superfamily Paramphistomoidea), and two cestode genera. The research discovered new parasites that the nyala was host of - namely a Cooperia rotundispiculum race, Gaigeria pachyscelis, a Gongylonema species, Haemonchus vegliai, Impalaia tuberculata, an Oesophagostomum species, a Setaria species, Trichostrongylus deflexus, Trichostrongylus falculatus, the larval stage of a Taenia species, a Thysaniezia species and Schistosoma mattheei. Ostertagia harrisi and C. rotundispiculum were the most dominant nematodes in the antelope.
Another study of 97 blood samples of South African nyalas revealed the presence of tick-borne hemoparasites (blood parasites). The methods used were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization. The dominant parasites were Theileria species, T. buffeli, T. bicornis, Ehrlichia species, Anaplasma marginale and A. bovis. Ten tick species, two louse species and a louse fly species were recovered in a study of 73 nyalas at Umfolozi, Mkuzi and Ndumu Game Reserves in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal in 1983 and 1984 and an additional six individuals in 1994. It was found that nyalas were hosts to all stages of development in Boophilus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and R. muehlensi and the immature stages of Amblyomma hebraeum and Rhipicephalus maculatus. Adult males served hosts to more number of ticks and lice than adult females did. Also, a trypanosome was isolated from a nyala, wild-caught in Mozambique, which was diagnosed and found as akin to Trypanosoma vivax, based on biological, morphological and molecular data.
Diseases
The nyala can also suffer from myopathy. In between January 1973 and June 1981, 21 nyalas succumbed to the disease. The main symptoms were stiffness, inability to rise, and failure to suckle in newborns. Necrosis (that is, the premature death of cells in a living tissue) and mineralization were found in the skeletal muscle after a histological analysis. In the juveniles there was acute necrosis of the cardiac muscle. In adults, there was interstitial fibrosis of the cardiac muscle, along with arteriosclerosis.
In a report published in 1994 entitled "Epidemiological observations on spongiform encephalopathies in captive wild animals in the British Isles", it was noted that spongiform encephalopathy had been diagnosed in one nyala captive in a zoo. The nyala was formerly affected by the disease rinderpest, although the viral disease is considered eradicated now.
Ecology and behavior
he nyala is active mainly in the early morning and late afternoon. It browses during the day if temperatures are 20–30 °C (68–86 °F) and during the night in rainy season. These antelopes rest in thick bushes during the hot hours of the day. The nyala is very shy and cautious in nature, and often remains hidden rather than coming out in the open. Most sightings of the nyala in the wild are at water holes. But in protected areas they become less shy and often come out in view of tourists.
Nyala groups are according to sex or mixed. Herds usually browse and drink water together. Each group consists of two to ten individuals. A study in Zinave National Park at Mozambique showed that 67% of the observations were of groups of one to three nyalas, and the rest of the herds consisted of up to 30 nyalas. Herds often broke up and re-formed. Generally adult males remain alone. Females often remain near their mothers when they have their offspring, so the relationships in female herds may be closer than those of males.
Alert and wary in nature, the nyala use a sharp, high, dog-like bark to warn others in a group of danger. This feature is mainly used by females. They also react to the alarm calls of impala, baboon and kudu. The impala has been found to react to the calls of the nyala as well. The main predators of nyala are lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena, African wild dog and nile crocodile while baboons and raptorial birds are predators of juveniles.
Diet
As a herbivore, the nyala's diet consists of foliage, fruits, flowers and twigs. During the rainy season they feed upon the fresh grass. They need a regular intake of water, and thus choose places with a water source nearby. However, they are adapted to live in areas with only a seasonal availability of water. A study in Zululand showed that the nyala fed mainly in the early morning and the late afternoon. They feed at night during the rainy season.
A study in Mkhuze Game Reserve and Ndumu Game Reserve in Natal focused on the dietary habits of the impala and the nyala showed that the amount of dicotyledons in their diets varied seasonally. In the dry season, the nyala's dicotyledon diet content was 83.2% and the impala's 52%. In this season, the diet grew richer in fiber and dietary proteins were less. The reverse occurred in the rainy season. As the rainy season arrived, both species took to a diet of mainly monocotyledons, and the impala consumed more of them. The diet contained more proteins than fiber.
Another study was done to find whether the sexual dimorphism in the nyala influenced its foraging habits. Vegetation surveys were conducted with the end of each feeding bout. It was found that females spent equal periods of time foraging in all the three habitats, but males preferred sand forest more. More differences were noted, as males ate woody species at a greater average height whereas females fed from the low herbaceous layer. It was concluded that the differences resulted from varying nutritional and energetic demands according to their diverse body sizes and differing reproductive strategies.
Reproduction
The nyala breeds throughout the year, but mating peaks in spring and autumn. The reason for this is still unknown, but attributed to the photoperiod and the feeding habits of the animal. Females reach sexual maturity at 11 to 12 months of age and males at 18 months (though they are socially immature until five years old), though they begin to show active spermatogenesis at 14 months.
Before ovulation, the Graafian follicles reach a length of at least 6.7 cm (2.6 in). A female's estrous cycle is about 19 days long. Males will attempt to mate with the female for two days of the cycle, but she allows it for only six hours per cycle. When the male enters a females' herd during mating, he makes a display by raising his white dorsal crest, lowering his horns and moving stiffly. As in many other animals, the males fight over dominance during mating.
The kidney fat indices (KFIs) of impalas and nyalas have been studied to understand the influence of social class and reproduction on them. To determine the KFI, the kidney is removed and weighed with the fat and once again excluding the fat. The resultant difference is the amount of fat on the kidney. The more the fat, the healthier the animal. In rut, male nyalas had lower KFIs, which did not vary much with the season. Pregnant females of both nyala and impala had higher KFIs than non-pregnant ones.
There is a significant increase in corpus luteum in the last third of gestation. Gestation is of seven months. A single calf is born, weighing 5 kg (11 lb). Birth takes place generally away from the sight of predators, in places such as a thicket. The calf remains hidden for up to 18 days, and the mother nurses it at regular intervals. The calf remains with its mother until the birth of the next calf, during which males in rut drive it away from the mother.
Habitat and distribution
The nyala inhabits dense lowland woodlands and thickets, mainly in southern Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and eastern South Africa. It chooses places with good quality grasslands as well as provision of fresh water. It also inhabits lush green river country. The nyala's natural range stretches across southeast Africa from the Lower Shire Valley in Malawi through Mozambique and Zimbabwe to eastern South Africa and Eswatini.
The geographic distribution of the nyala may be based on the genetic variation. According to a study of nyala in South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, there was a marked difference in the gene frequencies at three microsatellite loci. Mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed the presence of a unique haplotype in individuals from each location. Thus, the geographic variation in the nyala may be due to a distribution pattern based on habitat specificity.
Today nyala are found in South African protected areas in the Ndumo Game Reserve, uMkuze Game Reserve and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, all in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as in Kruger National Park. As of 1999, 10–15% of nyala occurred on private land. Efforts are being made to retain the populations of nyala in Gorongosa National Park and Banhine National Park in Mozambique. Nyala also thrive in Lengwe National Park in Malawi.
Nyala have never been observed showing territoriality. Territories of either sex overlap extensively. The home ranges of males are approximately equal to that of females, about 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) in area.
Threats and conservation
The major threats to the population of the nyala are poaching, habitat loss, agriculture and cattle grazing. Rinderpest outbreaks have also contributed in population loss. This species is currently of Least Concern, and the population is considered stable by both the IUCN and CITES. As of 1999, the total population of the nyala was around 32,000 individuals. More recent estimates show that South Africa has at least 30,000 nyalas, with 25,000 in KwaZulu-Natal. There are now more than 1,000 on protected areas and ranches in Eswatini. In Mozambique there are not more than 3,000, in Zimbabwe over 1,000, and numbers in Malawi have fallen from 3,000 to about 1,500. Namibia has the smallest population, at about 250.
Today over 80% of the total population is protected in national parks and sanctuaries, mostly in South African protected areas. In South Africa there is a high demand for adult males as game trophies.
(Wikipedia)
Der Kruger-Nationalpark (deutsch häufig falsch Krüger-Nationalpark) ist das größte Wildschutzgebiet Südafrikas. Er liegt im Nordosten des Landes in der Landschaft des Lowveld auf dem Gebiet der Provinz Limpopo sowie des östlichen Abschnitts von Mpumalanga. Seine Fläche erstreckt sich vom Crocodile-River im Süden bis zum Limpopo, dem Grenzfluss zu Simbabwe, im Norden. Die Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung beträgt etwa 350 km, in Ost-West-Richtung ist der Park durchschnittlich 54 km breit und umfasst eine Fläche von rund 20.000 Quadratkilometern. Damit gehört er zu den größten Nationalparks in Afrika.
Das Schutzgebiet wurde am 26. März 1898 unter dem Präsidenten Paul Kruger als Sabie Game Reserve zum Schutz der Wildnis gegründet. 1926 erhielt das Gebiet den Status Nationalpark und wurde in seinen heutigen Namen umbenannt. Im Park leben 147 Säugetierarten inklusive der „Big Five“, außerdem etwa 507 Vogelarten und 114 Reptilienarten, 49 Fischarten und 34 Amphibienarten.
(Wikipedia)
Der Nyala (Nyala angasii, Syn.: Tragelaphus angasii) ist eine südostafrikanische Antilope aus der Gruppe der Waldböcke. Zur Unterscheidung vom Bergnyala wird er manchmal auch als Flachland-Nyala oder Tiefland-Nyala bezeichnet. Die Bezeichnung Nyala stammt aus dem Swahili.
Der Nyala galt lange als eine der seltensten Antilopenarten. Strenge Schutzmaßnahmen haben dazu beigetragen, dass sich die Bestände wieder erholt haben. Trotzdem zählt der Nyala zu den immer noch sehr wenig erforschten Hornträgern.
Aussehen
Diese Antilopenart erreicht eine Kopfrumpflänge von 140 cm und eine Schulterhöhe von 110 cm. Das Gewicht beträgt 55 bis 125 kg, wobei Männchen deutlich größer und schwerer als Weibchen sind.
Weibchen und Männchen lassen sich vor allem anhand ihrer Körperfärbung unterscheiden: Während die viel größeren männlichen Tiere schiefergrau gefärbt sind und schraubenartig gedrehte Hörner tragen, die mit einer weißen Spitze versehen sind, sind die weiblichen Tiere ebenso wie Jungtiere hornlos und überwiegend rötlichbraun gefärbt. Alle Tiere haben bis zu 18 schmale, weiße Querstreifen. Die Männchen tragen sowohl eine lange, erektile Mähne, die das Rückgrat bedeckt, als auch von der Kehle bis zu den Hinterläufen hängende Bauchmähne. Dieses Merkmal unterscheidet sie von den meisten anderen Antilopenarten. Der buschige Schwanz ist bei beiden Geschlechtern an der Unterseite weiß.
Verbreitung
Nyalas sind in Mosambik, Simbabwe und im äußersten Nordosten Südafrikas verbreitet. Eingeführt wurden sie außerdem in Nationalparks Botswanas und Südafrikas, in denen sie ursprünglich nicht heimisch gewesen waren. Sie leben bevorzugt in dichtem Buschwerk in der Nähe von Wasser. Das Vorkommen ist in den Naturschutzgebieten Hluhluwe/Umfolozi, Mkuzi, Ndumo und Krügerpark bekannt. In den letzten Jahren wurde ebenfalls eine Population im Isimangaliso Park wieder angesiedelt.
Lebensweise
Während Weibchen und Jungtiere kleine Herden bilden, sind die männlichen Tiere Einzelgänger. Die Nyalas ernähren sich vorwiegend von Laub, doch werden gelegentlich auch Gräser gefressen. Zu den Fressfeinden des Nyalas zählt unter anderem der Leopard, dieser hat jedoch keine signifikante Auswirkung auf den Bestand dieser Art.
Fortpflanzung
Nach einer Tragzeit von gut sieben Monaten bringt das Weibchen ein Junges zur Welt. Das Höchstalter der Tiefland-Nyalas liegt bei etwa 16 Jahren.
(Wikipedia)
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Nice to be able to get down to Black Head Beach today especially when Greater Metropolitan Sydney is in Covid 19 lockdown.
Personally, while I am out of the designated lockdown region, I'm somewhat housebound due to a total knee replacement 4 weeks ago (17th June 2021) but I'm fine and progressing pretty well.
I was indeed fortunate that Gladys Berejiklian, the Premier of NSW, was very slow to address a looming highly virulent Covid 19 'Delta Variant' outbreak in Bondi Junction which emerged around the 12th June 2021, just 5 days before my TKR operation date at St Lukes Hospital Potts Point which is not far from Bondi Junction. My surgeons' offices were actually in Bondi Junction just 50 metres from the Westfields Shopping Centre Covid site. Luckily, I was able to have the operation and get out of Sydney and home by the 19th June at a point when the Bondi Cluster had just six cases of the Delta variant.
The downside has been that due to health orders in place over Bondi Junction and Potts Point I cannot get back to see my surgeon for my follow-up consultations and he does not do zoom consultations.
For my own record of the historical context of this NSW June-July 2021 Covid 19 Delta variant outbreak I've decided to record my thoughts here in writing. Firstly, it must be acknowledged that the Federal Morrison Government has categorically failed in its responsibility to the Australian people in that its vaccine roll-out has been disastrously incompetent not to mention its utter failure to manage quarantine.
In the context of these failures, it's placed the states in the difficult position of having to devise differing strategies to best protect their citizens. NSW, despite messing things up early in the pandemic with their clumsy handling of the Ruby Princess debacle, did eventually get their act together and did establish some of the best contact tracing infrastructure in the country. Other states were initially a little slower to step up to the plate as far as contact tracing but they all manage this very effectively these days.
One thing is certain, until quarantine and mass vaccination of the Australian population are in place there is no other choice but, unpopular as it might be, to use the lockdown mechanism as the main weapon to fight these outbreaks.
In NSW in July 2021 we now have an emerging crisis due to a failure to 'go hard go early' by the Berejiklian Government. Instead of locking down immediately the Bondi Junction cluster was discovered, around the 12th June 2021, the NSW government let the virulent Delta Variant Bondi Junction cluster run its course until 4pm on 21st June (two days after I got out of Sydney) when finally, they were forced to declare a conditional lockdown of inner Metropolitan areas of Sydney including the Eastern Suburbs. This quickly widened to include the Greater Metropolitan area and of course by this time the virus had got away and last night Victoria was dragged into its 5th lockdown again as a result of infected NSW citizens entering Victoria.
As of today 16th July the Greater Metropolitan areas of Sydney, Wollongong and Central Coast are subject to what are called 'Stay at home health orders" while the rest of NSW waits warily. Its probably only now a matter of time before the whole state is locked down.
Now that the virus has jumped the border into Victoria, sensibly, the Andrews government announced a 'Go Hard Go Early' 5 day lockdown a strategy unsurprisingly not adopted by Berejiklian.
We now have a comparative scenario developing between the management protocols of two states with Victoria going hard and early and NSW slow and arguably targeted, relying on effective contact tracing.
Berejiklian, had since the early days of the Pandemic, been very vocal, self-congratulatory, politically judgemental and critical of Victoria as well as Queensland's approach to lock down so when she was faced with the critical decision to lockdown part or all of Sydney, she was compromised by her earlier anti-lockdown public statements which lead to her an inability to act decisively enough to prevent the virus escaping the Eastern Suburbs.
Only time will tell if NSW's slow response and 'Clayton's Lockdown' is going to be costly to the state, if not the nation.
The financial costs to business and workers not to mention the health impacts are sure to be huge if action is not taken immediately.
As non-essential luxury goods stores remain open for browsing and the Premier refuses to stipulate what are classified as essential services, at the present moment things are not looking positive as far as NSW getting on top of this outbreak. The Premier is saying that she will be guided by the scientific data but a cynical view could be that she is being guided by selective data and the interests of business lobby groups/donors.
Against this backdrop most respected health and epidemiological experts are saying that NSW's 'lockdown lite' will be forced to harden up as the prospect of NSW's lockdown potentially extending many weeks increases by the day.
Respected medical, health and epidemiological experts, including the President of the AMA are also now openly advocating that the NSW Government adopt the Victorian model before it's too late, some even stating publicly that if stronger measures are not immediately put in place, then it may not be possible to bring this outbreak under control before Xmas.
NSW has been lucky in the past to escape a mass outbreak and in part because they've had pretty effective contact tracing in place. For all its apparent faults hopefully the NSW Government's strategy actually does work so that this highly virulent 'Delta Variant' of the Covid 19 Virus is nipped in the bud so we can all get back down to business, work, travel and a more normal lifestyle.
At the moment here in Regional NSW we are only subject to minimal measures so far so fingers crossed it remains that way.
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British Columbia now has a higher rate of active COVID-19 cases than Ontario and Quebec, according to the latest epidemiological data.
On November 27, British Columbia had 181 active virus cases per 100,000 people. Quebec had 135 active cases per 100,000 people, and Ontario had 91 active cases per 100,000 people.
Ontario and Quebec have been Canada’s hotspots throughout the pandemic, each having seen over 100,000 cases to date.
Details of the Levolux sunshade system on the Richard Doll Building in Headington, Oxford by Nicholas Hare Architects LLP. The building won a RIBA Award in 2007.
There are have been so many new Hospital buildings built in the last few years. Most have been somewhat forgettable, probably a result of PFI Contracts but this one looked like someone had given it some thought.
Early years
The foundation date was traditionally 1169, but can only be dated definitely between 1165 and 1174 on the evidence of charters. The dedication is to St. Mary Magdalene; unusual in the region.
It would seem the arrangements for founding the Priory were well advanced by the time of the foundation charter, as opposed to the more gradual process at Wetheral and St. Bees. Robert de Vaux gave the land of Lanercost "between the ancient wall and the Irthing and between Burth and Poltros, the vill of Walton by stated bounds, the church of that vill with the chapel of 'Treverman,' the churches of Irthington, Brampton, Carlaton and Farlam The charter of foundation states that the benefaction was made for the sake of Henry II, and for the health of the souls of his father Hubert and his mother Grace.
Soon after the foundation of the house, Robert de Vaux granted to the canons the right of free election, so that when the lord prior died the person on whom the choice of the canons or the greater part of them fell should be elected in his place.
The bulk of the church building dates from the late 13th century, though there is evidence of earlier work. The Priory buildings were constructed, at least in part, from stones derived from Hadrian's Wall, including a number of Roman inscriptions that were built into its fabric.
Visitors and raiders
The proximity to Scotland inevitably had an effect on the fortunes of the priory, and it was a target of Scots attacks in retaliation to English raids. This became acute after the outbreak of the War of Independence. In 1296 the Scottish army encamped at Lanercost after burning Hexham priory and Lambley nunnery. The Scots were interrupted before the damage could become great, and they retreated through Nicolforest, having burnt some houses of the monastery but not the church. Similar depredations under Wallace continued the next year and led to calls for reprisals from the English.
Roman inscription, recording the presence of Legio VI Victrix on Hadrian's Wall, now built into the priory wall.
Edward I made several visits to the priory in the latter part of his reign. In the autumn of 1280 he visited in the company of Queen Eleanor on his way to Newcastle. The canons met him at the gate in their copes, and although staying only a few days, he found time to take 200 stags and hinds while hunting in Inglewood forest. In 1300, on his way to the siege of Caerlaverock Castle, Edward stayed at Lanercost for a short while
Edward's last visit was in 1306, travelling in a horse litter owing to age and illness, and accompanied by Queen Margaret. He arrived at Michaelmas and his stay extended until the following Easter, a duration of 6 months which put a huge burden upon the resources of the priory. It was while Edward was at Lanercost that the brothers of Robert de Brus and other Scottish captives were sent to Carlisle for execution by his order.
This last royal visit depleted the reserves of the priory, and the canons begged him for recompense, but a deal to acquire the church of 'Hautwyselle,' worth about 100 marks a year, fell through. However the king granted the appropriation of the churches of Mitford in Northumberland and Carlatton in Cumberland, for the relief of the Priory. In a letter to the Pope, Edward gave his reasons for generosity being the special devotion he felt to St. Mary Magdalene, his long stay due to illness, and making good the damage of the Scots. Edward died shortly afterwards at Burgh by Sands in July 1307, whilst still campaigning against the Scots.
Lanercost Priory from the south. The foundations of the conventual buildings are in the foreground
In August 1311, Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, came with his army and made it his headquarters for three days, "committing infinite evils" and imprisoning some canons; though later letting them free. By contrast in 1328, in fulfilment of the treaty between the Bruce and Edward III, a mutual interchange of good offices took place between the priory of Lanercost and Kelso Abbey in respect of their common revenues out of the church of Lazonby. Later though, in 1346, David II ransacked the conventual buildings and desecrated the church. Fresh from the overthrow of Liddel he "entered the holy place with haughtiness, threw out the vessels of the temple, stole the treasures, broke the doors, took the jewels, and destroyed everything they could lay hands on". As late as 1386, one of the priors was taken prisoner by the Scots and ransomed for a fixed sum of money and four score quarters of corn.
The fortunes of the priory were linked to the state of warfare and raids on the border. The priory was in relatively affluent circumstances before the outbreak of the war of Independence in 1296, and the annual revenue of the house was returned at £74 12s 6d in the 1291 valuation of Pope Nicholas IV. But by the taxation of 1318, the value had fallen almost to nothing.
The Parish Church
Lanercost Priory was dissolved in 1538 by Henry VIII, and the conventual buildings were stripped of their roofs, excepting the church building which continued in use as the parish church. In the late 17th century, as the Nave deteriorated, the congregation used just the north aisle which had been re-roofed.
In 1747, the nave was re-roofed, but by 1847 the Priory was in a state of disrepair to the extent that the east end roof collapsed. However, by 1849, The church was in use again after a major restoration by Anthony Salvin. In the 1870s, there was further restoration by the Carlisle architect C. J. Ferguson.
At the Dissolution, ownership had passed to the Dacre family, and then in the early 18th century to the Howards. In 1929, The Priory ruins were put into public ownership, and today they are managed by English Heritage.
Architectural notes
West front with the statue of Mary Magdalene
The nave has an aisle to the north, but a large wall to the south with no aisle, where it abuts the cloister. The impressive ruined chancel and crossing of ca. 1220-1230 are in a good state of preservation; as high as the eaves, and would only require a roof and windows to be restored to the original condition. The oldest masonry is in the south transept, and dates from the late 12th century. The cloister and monastic buildings have been largely dismantled; except for the west range, which was made into a house by Sir Thomas Dacre in the 16th century. The statue of St Mary Magdalene, given by King Edward I, still survives in a niche high up on the west front. A dossal – an embroidered wall hanging – designed by William Morris in 1881, underwent restoration before being replaced behind the priory altar in 2013-14
Memorials
The priory has an unusual medieval stone carving called the Lanercost Cross with an inscription dating back to 1214. Originally the cross was set just outside the entrance to the church. Today, the stump of the cross remains, but the main shaft is housed inside the priory. In the churchyard is the tomb of Thomas Addison, scientist and physician. In the nave is a memorial to the Reverend Henry Whitehead, former vicar of Lanercost, best known for his pioneering epidemiological work with John Snow on cholera.
Humphrey Dacre, 1st Baron Dacre, and his widow Mabel were both buried at the Priory in the 15th century.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
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Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
Social distancing, or physical distancing, is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other. It involves keeping a distance of six feet or two meters from others and avoiding gathering together in large groups. By reducing the probability that a given uninfected person will come into physical contact with an infected person, the disease transmission can be suppressed, resulting in fewer deaths. The measures are combined with good respiratory hygiene and hand washing. During the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested the reference to "physical" as an alternative to "social", in keeping with the notion that it is a physical distance which prevents transmission; people can remain socially connected via technology. To slow down the spread of infectious diseases and avoid overburdening healthcare systems, particularly during a pandemic, several social distancing measures are used, including the closing of schools and workplaces, isolation, quarantine, restricting movement of people and the cancellation of mass gatherings. Social distancing measures date back to at least the fifth century BCE. The biblical book of Leviticus contains one of the earliest known references to the practice, likely as response to leprosy. During the Plague of Justinian, emperor Justinian enforced an ineffective quarantine on the Byzantine Empire, including dumping bodies into the sea, blaming the widespread outbreak predominately on "Jews, Samaritans, pagans, heretics, Arians, Montanists, and homosexuals".[11] In modern times, social distancing measures have been successfully implemented in several previous epidemics. In St. Louis, shortly after the first cases of influenza were detected in the city during the 1918 flu pandemic, authorities implemented school closures, bans on public gatherings and other social distancing interventions. The case fatality rates in St. Louis were much less than in Philadelphia, which despite having cases of influenza, allowed a mass parade to continue and did not introduce social distancing until more than two weeks after its first cases. Social distancing has also been used during the 2019-20 coronavirus epidemic. Social distancing measures are more effective when the infectious disease spreads via droplet contact (coughing or sneezing); direct physical contact, including sexual contact; indirect physical contact (e.g., by touching a contaminated surface); or airborne transmission (if the microorganism can survive in the air for long periods). The measures are less effective when an infection is transmitted primarily via contaminated water or food or by vectors such as mosquitoes or other insects.Drawbacks of social distancing can include loneliness, reduced productivity and the loss of other benefits associated with human interaction. Since January, Taiwan, India and Thailand, all of which also make face masks, have banned their export, although, to help China, India later temporarily revoked its restriction. South Korea also banned the export of masks, as will Indonesia soon. Outside Asia, Russia, Germany and the Czech Republic also stopped exports in early March. So did Kenya, where the first case of coronavirus was confirmed on March 13.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released straightforward guidance in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic: Everyone in the US should wear a cloth mask or face covering while in certain public settings. The recommendation marks a shift from the federal government. Less than six weeks ago, Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted that members of the general public should “STOP BUYING MASKS!” He added that masks “are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!” The CDC is still advising against the general public wearing traditional medical masks, such as surgical variants and N95 respirators, to preserve them for health care workers. The shift in messaging on cloth masks, the agency said, came in light of evidence that people with few or no symptoms of Covid-19 can still transmit the virus. The CDC now recommends everyone use cloth masks in public. The upshot: Masks can help stop the spread of coronavirus not just by protecting the wearer, but by preventing the wearer — who could be an asymptomatic spreader — from breathing and spitting their germs everywhere. Some studies in households and colleges “show a benefit of masks,” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have described social distancing as a set of "methods for reducing frequency and closeness of contact between people in order to decrease the risk of transmission of disease".[10] During the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic, the CDC revised the definition of social distancing as "remaining out of congregrate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately six feet or two meters) from others when possible". Previously, in 2009, the WHO described social distancing as "keeping at least an arm's length distance from others, [and] minimizing gatherings".[7] It is combined with good respiratory hygiene and hand washing, and is considered the most feasible way to reduce or delay a pandemic.Raina MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Research Program at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, told me, “so it would be plausible that they would also protect in lower-intensity transmission settings such as in the general community.” But masks do not make you invincible. They can’t replace good hygiene — Wash your hands! Don’t touch your face! — and social distancing, both of which have been key to stemming the coronavirus even in Asian countries where widespread mask use was already common. Epidemiological models also suggest coronavirus cases will rise if social distancing measures are relaxed, potentially causing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of deaths in the US alone. That’s true whether people are gathering wearing masks or not. People wear masks in midtown New York City on April 6. Kena Betancur/Getty Images. Still, the CDC’s about-face has left many people with plenty of questions: What does it mean to use a mask correctly? When should they be used and washed? Do you need them for all public situations? Can they really keep you safe? If you can’t find a mask, how can you make one? Knowing that a disease is circulating may trigger a change in behaviour by people choosing to stay away from public places and other people. When implemented to control epidemics, such social distancing can result in benefits but with an economic cost. Research indicates that measures must be applied rigorously and immediately in order to be effective. Several social distancing measures are used to control the spread of contagious illnesses. And why aren’t there more medical masks to begin with? Here’s a guide to some of the most common questions. Avoiding physical contact: Social distancing includes eliminating the physical contact that occurs with the typical handshake, hug, or hongi; this illustration offers eight alternatives. Keeping at least two-metre (six-foot) distance from each other and avoiding hugs and gestures that involve direct physical contact, reduce the risk of becoming infected during flu pandemics and the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. These distances of separation, in addition to personal hygiene measures, are also recommended at places of work.Where possible it may be recommended to work from home. Various alternatives have been proposed for the tradition of handshaking. The gesture of namaste, placing one's palms together, fingers pointing upwards, drawing the hands to the heart, is one non-touch alternative. During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom, this gesture was used by Prince Charles upon greeting reception guests, and has been recommended by the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other alternatives include the wave, the shaka (or "hang loose") sign, and placing a palm on your heart, as practiced in parts of Iran.
1) When should I wear a mask?
According to the CDC, you should wear a mask in public, particularly while in “settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies)” and “especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.” Think of circumstances where it’s going to be harder to keep at least 6 feet away from other people, especially in closed, poorly ventilated places. It’s in those kinds of situations that coronavirus-containing droplets are more likely to spread by air or surfaces. There are some exceptions to the mask guidance, the CDC stated: “Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.” The evidence for everyone wearing masks, explained. And be warned: If you use a mask incorrectly, or start acting recklessly because you’re wearing a mask, it could actually hurt you more than it helps.
If you fidget with your mask, and especially if you touch your face in the process, you can infect yourself with virus-containing droplets your mask caught. If you reuse a mask without cleaning it, you can breathe in or otherwise expose yourself to droplets the mask captured last time. If you generally ease up on good hygiene or social distancing because you’re wearing a mask, you’re putting yourself — and your community — at greater risk.
The CDC offers some tips for how to properly use a mask. Above all, don’t touch the mask and then touch other parts of your face, especially your eyes, mouth, and nose. The entire point of this fabric is to shield you from outside germs. So you don’t want to touch the part of the mask doing the shielding and then the parts of your face that are vulnerable to infection. You should also wash your hands before and after taking off a mask — before to avoid getting anything on your face and mask, and after to get rid of anything that was on your mask. Remove the mask with the loops, not by touching the front. If possible, throw away disposable masks after using them. And if you can’t throw a mask away, make sure to thoroughly disinfect it with ultraviolet light sterilizers — not something most people have around — or, if using a cloth product, throw it in the wash or clean it with soap and water. For some people, it might make sense to have multiple masks around if you have to go out multiple times on a particular day. The important thing, though, is to throw a recently used mask in the laundry or in the wash as soon as possible and avoid touching it at all until it’s clean. Do not keep dirty masks around your house, where people can easily touch them and potentially infect themselves.
2) What kind of mask should I use? The CDC recommends a cloth mask or face covering, whether a professionally made mask or a homemade variant. The CDC explicitly advises against the general public using a surgical mask, which is the standard mask you’ve probably seen doctors and nurses wear. It also advises against the public using N95 respirators, which are more complex, expensive masks meant to fit more tightly on the face.
Surgical masks and N95 respirators, the agency noted, “are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.” New York City nurses and health workers gather to demand safer working conditions, more personal protective equipment (PPE), and free virus testing during the Covid-19 outbreak on April 6. Giles Clarke/Getty Images As it stands, there is a serious shortage of PPE, including masks, for health care workers. There are reports of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers using bandanas and scarves for masks and trash bags for gowns. Hospitals are considering do-not-resuscitate orders for dying Covid-19 patients out of fear that such intensive, close-up procedures could get doctors and nurses without PPE infected with the virus. The CDC, acknowledging the shortage, previously recommended homemade masks for health care workers when no other options are available. “I am worried that telling people to wear masks will strain already weak supplies that are needed by doctors and nurses,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, told me. “If we are able to fix that supply chain, I’d feel less worried about this. But some of the shortages initially were due to members of public and medical staff raiding medical offices’ and hospitals’ supplies for home use.” Private companies and public officials are racing to fix the PPE shortage. But until it’s fixed, it’s critical that the existing supplies of surgical masks and N95 respirators are left for health care workers who are literally saving people from this pandemic.
3) Will a mask protect me from getting Covid-19? The CDC’s guidance — and the best argument for wearing a mask, according to the experts I spoke with — is primarily to stop the wearer from infecting other people. That’s especially important for Covid-19, since at least some spread happens when people are asymptomatic, when they have few symptoms, or before they develop symptoms. Universal mask use could stop these asymptomatic carriers, many of whom might not even know they’re sick, from inadvertently infecting other people. Masks also can offer some protection from others by putting a physical barrier between them and your mouth and nose. But we don’t know how much, because it’s unclear how much the virus spreads through airborne droplets or aerosols. Masks can’t replace all the other approaches needed to fight the coronavirus, like washing your hands, not touching your face, and social distancing. Still, when paired with all these other tactics — and when used correctly — masks offer an extra layer of protection.
The quality of the research on this topic is weak, with a lot of small, underpowered studies. But the studies that do exist generally favor more people wearing masks. A 2008 systematic review, published in BMJ, found medical masks halted the spread of respiratory viruses from likely infected patients. In particular, studies on the 2003 outbreak of SARS — a cousin to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 — found that masks alone were 68 percent effective at preventing the virus. By comparison, washing hands more than 10 times a day was 55 percent effective. A combination of measures such as hand-washing, masks, gloves, and gowns was 91 percent effective.
A 2015 review, also published in BMJ, looked at mask use among people in community settings, specifically households and colleges. Some studies produced unclear results, but the findings overall indicated that wearing a mask protected people from infections compared to not wearing a mask, especially when paired with hand-washing. A big issue was adherence; people were often bad at actually wearing masks, which, unsurprisingly, diminished their effectiveness. But if masks were used early and consistently, the authors concluded, they seemed to work. MASKS CAN’T REPLACE ALL THE OTHER APPROACHES NEEDED TO FIGHT THE CORONAVIRUS, LIKE WASHING YOUR HANDS, NOT TOUCHING YOUR FACE, AND SOCIAL DISTANCING A more recent study published in Nature Medicine found that surgical masks appear to block droplets and aerosols containing some viruses, including the flu and coronavirus. Other studies have produced similar results, typically finding at least some protective value from masks as long as they’re used consistently and properly. The results vary depending on the mask. N95 respirators are, in theory, the best possible masks. But they require a bit of skill and fitting to use — to the point that a 2016 review in CMAJ couldn’t find a difference among health care workers using N95 respirators versus surgical masks for respiratory infection, likely due to poor fitting. That’s another reason these masks should be reserved for the professionals. Cloth masks, meanwhile, are much less effective than surgical masks or N95 respirators, as a 2015 study in BMJ found. And they can be extra risky, since they can trap and hold virus-containing droplets that wearers can then breathe in. But they still, in general, offer more protection than no mask at all, several studies concluded. There’s no good research on how wearing a mask could affect people’s behaviors, but the experience of some Asian countries suggests it’s possible to adopt social distancing, good hygiene, and masks in the midst of an outbreak. Taiwan and South Korea, for example, have done a better job containing Covid-19 than the US while embracing masks and all the other evidence-based measures. To emphasize: Yes, masks can help. But they’re not an excuse to ease up on social distancing, good hygiene, and all the other things public health officials are recommending right now. Do all of those things too.
4) Do I need a mask if I’m walking or running in the open air?
Probably not — but if used properly, wearing a mask probably can’t hurt, and might help encourage others to wear one too.
The CDC specifies that it’s recommending cloth face coverings where social distancing isn’t possible. A solitary walk or run outside is typically not going to fall into one of those categories.
In general, masks become more helpful as the risk of infection increases. If you’re having closer, more prolonged contact with potentially sick people, using a mask is more likely to protect you. And if you’re potentially sick and having closer, more prolonged contact with others, a mask is more likely to protect them from your germs as well. “Are people having those prolonged, close-contact interactions with people?” Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist focused on hospital preparedness, told me. “Because that’s what’s more considered high-risk. … It’s that face-to-face for a significant chunk of time.” That’s why the CDC had already recommended masks for people who know they’re sick or interacting with someone who’s sick. People who frequently interact with others as part of their jobs, like a first responder or a grocery store clerk, are more likely to get good use out of masks too. That especially includes health care workers, who spend more time with sick people than anyone else — which is why they need masks and other PPE more.
Certain populations also may want to especially consider masks in less risky environments, such as people who are older or have underlying health issues, like a compromised immune system, that put them at greater risk if they’re infected. Besides the health benefits, there’s also a potential social value to wearing a mask everywhere: It could push more people to do so as well. If more people are out in public wearing face coverings, that could help remove the stigma that only sick people wear masks. So if you go out with a mask in more situations, it could not only help you and those around you, but it might help instill a healthier norm for the rest of society too.
5) How do I make a mask? There are a lot of options! But keep in mind guidance, from the CDC, about a proper mask: It should fit snugly but comfortably around the face, be secured around the ears with ties or loops, include multiple layers of fabric, allow for breathing without restriction, and be readily washable without damage. If you have the time and can sew, the CDC recommends a face covering that can be made with two 10-inch by 6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric, two 6-inch pieces of elastic or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties, a needle and thread or bobby pin, scissors, and a sewing machine. Here’s the agency’s four-step tutorial: If you’re like me and the idea of sewing anything sounds like a total nightmare, the CDC offers a non-sewing option. It just requires a T-shirt and a pair of scissors. Here’s the three-step tutorial: A three-step tutorial for a mask made from a T-shirt. If you’re even more like me and that mask is still too much, the surgeon general posted a 45-second video guide on Twitter for an even easier mask that can be made solely with a T-shirt or just about any other cloth fabric and two rubber bands: Chances are the less skill-intensive, less time-consuming masks will be, at the very least, less comfortable, and maybe harder to wear for long. But if you’re in a pinch, or if you’re unable to do more complicated tailoring, the easier alternatives offer more protection than nothing.
6) Why aren’t more medical masks available? The simple answer is that supply hasn’t kept up with demand. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, China made half the world’s face masks. When the outbreak took off there, China started to use its supply and hoard what remained. This problem has only spread since, as more and more countries hoard whatever medical supplies they can get — with some, like Germany, even banning most PPE exports. So as demand increased due to Covid-19 — not just from health care workers but from a general public increasingly scared of infection — there was less supply to go around. On a deeper level, though, the shortage in masks and other PPE reflects America’s — and, really, the rest of the world’s — poor preparedness for a pandemic. The mask and broader PPE shortage, in fact, was well-known to the US government before the Covid-19 outbreak, yet the US did not prepare. “When we have done exercises in the past for pandemic preparedness, supply chain issues were a well-documented challenge,” Popescu said. “This is something we’ve known about — maybe not to this extent, but this isn’t a shocker. It’s more surprising that we let it get this bad.” One of those simulations held by the federal government, as the New York Times reported, covered a pandemic that looked a lot like the one we’re facing now: a respiratory virus that started in China and made its way to the US and the rest of the world. Among the many problems, the Times found, were “deficiencies ‘in personal protective equipment use.’” The exercise found that the US didn’t have the means to quickly produce more PPE. When states turned to the federal government for help in the exercise, there was “confusion” and “bureaucratic chaos” as requests and submissions hit multiple agencies at once. This was far from the only simulation to produce these results, experts told me. Jeremy Konyndyk, senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, argued a previous outbreak should have acted as a warning for the world: the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak. While working in President Barack Obama’s administration at the time, Konyndyk quickly realized that the US — and much of the world — was simply not ready for a major disease outbreak. “I came away from that experience just completely horrified at how unready we would be for something more dangerous than Ebola,” he said, noting Ebola was, thankfully, relatively hard to transmit. Indeed, experts and advocates argue that the US generally underfunds disease outbreak preparedness and public health programs more broadly. It’s these concerns that led the Obama administration, after the Ebola outbreak, to attempt to scale up preparedness by establishing a White House office dedicated solely to the issue and producing a 69-page playbook in case of an outbreak. But President Donald Trump’s administration neglected and rolled back these efforts, eventually disbanding the White House office.
We’ve seen the results in the botched rollout of coronavirus testing, but PPE offers another example. America could have shored up its supplies of PPE in its strategic stockpile. It could have ensured that there would be surge capacity to boost production in case of emergency. And it should have been doing this all before the coronavirus pandemic. But it didn’t, even after it became clearer, around January and February, that the coronavirus was a looming threat. By early March, federal officials acknowledged the Strategic National Stockpile had just 1 percent of the medical masks the country needed in a full-blown pandemic. “The US … was not prepared,” Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told me. “A good preparedness plan would have helped address this and had things in place to allow for that increased need to be met.” So the US is playing catch-up with different public and private interventions to boost PPE production. Until that’s fixed, we simply don’t have enough medical masks to go around.
7) If medical masks are better, why shouldn’t I get some for myself? Because health care workers need them more, since they’re constantly in contact with those who are sick — in a way not many other people, if any, in the general public are. And even if you take a totally selfish perspective on this, there are good reasons to want health care workers to get these medical masks first. As coronavirus has spread, experts have talked up “flattening the curve.” The idea is to spread out the number of coronavirus cases — through social distancing, testing, contact tracing, and other protective measures — to avoid overwhelming the health care system. Here’s what that looks like in chart form:
An infographic that shows the goals of mitigation during an outbreak with two curves. The X-axis represents the number of daily cases and they Y-axis represents the amount of time since the first case. The first curve represents the number of cases when no protective measures during an outbreak are implemented and displays a large peak. The second curve is much lower, representing a much smaller rise in the number of cases if protective measures are implemented. Christina Animashaun/Vox
The PPE shortage could make it harder to flatten the curve of new cases if doctors and nurses get sick. But the line representing health care system capacity also isn’t a constant. If we develop more capacity, it can handle more cases at once. If capacity falls — if doctors and nurses get sick because of a lack of protective equipment, or refuse to work without conditions that can ensure their safety — even a flatter curve will be hard for the system to handle. That’s why experts, even those who acknowledge that the public would benefit from using masks, say that doctors and nurses should get priority: This isn’t just about keeping people on the front lines safe; it’s about keeping all of us safe. To put it in selfish terms: If you do get sick with the coronavirus or anything else during this pandemic, and you want to make sure that there are doctors and nurses available to treat you, you should let them get the masks they need first.
It’s true that we might all be better off wearing surgical masks in an ideal world. But that’s not the world we live in right now. For all our sakes, we should act accordingly.
8) If masks are so great, why is the CDC just telling us this now?
Officially, the CDC has said it changed its stance with the changing evidence. As it became clearer that asymptomatic transmission was happening with the coronavirus, the CDC argued, the benefits of everyone wearing a mask increased, since they could help stop transmission from people who don’t even know they’re sick. Unofficially, the answer is a little more complicated. In my discussions with public health officials and experts before the CDC changed its guidance, it seemed many people were afraid of saying anything that could exacerbate the PPE shortage for health care workers or get members of the general public to think — incorrectly — that they could ease social distancing measures if they just wear a mask. “I fear that if we tell everyone they should go out and buy masks, it will not only contribute to the PPE shortage,” Jaimie Meyer, an infectious disease expert at Yale University, told me, “but it will give a false sense of a ‘quick fix’ for protection, whereas people still need to be practicing social distancing strategies that are much more effective, though perhaps socially, psychologically, [and] logistically challenging.” Trump ordered more N95 masks. 3M says his tactics could make the shortage worse. Part of the issue is the CDC also operates on a different evidence level than a lot of the public. The agency tends to follow the best reviews of the scientific evidence with very rigorous standards for what’s a good study and what’s not. So what may sound like good enough evidence and reasoning to you and me may not be good enough for the CDC. Since the scientific evidence for public mask use isn’t great — even if it’s generally positive — the CDC, as an agency filled with scientists, was just more skeptical of taking a leap than many laypeople were. Regardless of the reasoning, the CDC’s messaging backfired. As health care workers clamored for masks, it became increasingly harder to tell the public that masks wouldn’t benefit everyone else. By obfuscating and failing to fully explain the issue, officials likely sowed distrust toward their guidance. And the public rushed to buy masks anyway.
9) How can I donate masks to health care workers?
The dire shortage of masks and other PPE has led to several options for donations: If you want to make and donate cloth masks, WeNeedMasks.org provides options for most states and Puerto Rico. If you have surgical masks, N95 respirators, and other PPE around, #GetUsPPE is another option. (Although note that many places will only take unopened supplies.)
If you’re a manufacturer or supplier, the N95 Project is trying to connect companies that make or have masks with the hospitals and clinics that need them. At this point in the pandemic, health care workers and facilities all over the country will gladly accept the help they can take. Some places, like New York and Louisiana, are dealing with much worse coronavirus outbreaks right now and really need the supplies today. But it’s also worth being realistic about just how far donations can go. Given the research, cloth masks are simply not suitable replacements for actual medical masks. With medical masks, N95 respirators are widely regarded as more effective than conventional surgical masks when properly fitted. So even with donations, it’s on the federal government to set up more production and coordination of supply lines to make sure places in need get PPE. It’s on private producers to step up and do what they can. (Some car, clothing, and pillow companies, among others, have already done so.) And it’s on us — to make sure that the existing supplies of masks and other PPE are made available to health care workers. Americans can accomplish that, in part, with donations, but we can also do that by not buying surgical masks or N95 respirators until the shortage is fixed, and instead relying on cloth and homemade coverings. So, yes, health experts recommend wearing a mask in public. Just don’t take one from health care workers. And keep doing all the other things public health officials recommend, like social distancing and washing your hands, as we deal with this pandemic. Support Vox’s explanatory journalism Every day at Vox, we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you, and our audience around the world, with information that has the power to save lives. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower you through understanding. Vox’s work is reaching more people than ever, but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles, videos, and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today. Since the beginning of March and the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe, Chinese companies have sold nearly 4 billion face masks overseas, according to authorities. For Beijing, this is a perfect way to change the narrative: China is now offering its assistance to virus-hit countries while trying to leave the mistakes of the early outbreak in the past. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, face masks have become a hot commodity and international competition is fierce. Last week, a number of French politicians accused the US of buying up Chinese face masks ordered by France. In one case, the Americans allegedly outbid the French on the airport tarmac in China. China is the biggest producer of masks on the planet and is getting orders from around the world. With the Covid-19 pandemic now under control in the country, factories have been mobilised to boost production. Since early April, China has been able to produce 200 million masks a day. In the case of a second wave of infections, will China continue to send masks to the entire planet? With a population of 1.5 billion inhabitants, the country would need to protect itself too. Mathematical modeling has shown that transmission of an outbreak may be delayed by closing schools. However, effectiveness depends on the contacts children maintain outside of school. Often, one parent has to take time off work, and prolonged closures may be required. These factors could result in social and economic disruption. Modeling and simulation studies based on U.S. data suggest that if 10% of affected workplaces are closed, the overall infection transmission rate is around 11.9% and the epidemic peak time is slightly delayed. In contrast, if 33% of affected workplaces are closed, the attack rate decreases to 4.9%, and the peak time is delayed by one week. Workplace closures include closure of "non-essential" businesses and social services ("non-essential" means those facilities that do not maintain primary functions in the community, as opposed to essential services). Cancellation of mass gatherings includes sports events, films or musical shows. Evidence suggesting that mass gatherings increase the potential for infectious disease transmission is inconclusive.[30] Anecdotal evidence suggests certain types of mass gatherings may be associated with increased risk of influenza transmission, and may also "seed" new strains into an area, instigating community transmission in a pandemic. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, military parades in Philadelphia and Bostonmay have been responsible for spreading the disease by mixing infected sailors with crowds of civilians. Restricting mass gatherings, in combination with other social distancing interventions, may help reduce transmission.Border restrictions or internal travel restrictions are unlikely to delay an epidemic by more than two to three weeks unless implemented with over 99% coverage.Airport screening was found to be ineffective in preventing viral transmission during the 2003 SARS outbreak in Canada[35] and the U.S.[36] Strict border controls between Austria and the Ottoman Empire, imposed from 1770 until 1871 to prevent persons infected with the bubonic plague from entering Austria, were reportedly effective, as there were no major outbreaks of plague in Austrian territory after they were established, whereas the Ottoman Empire continued to suffer frequent epidemics of plague until the mid-nineteenth century. A Northeastern University study published in March 2020 found that "travel restrictions to and from China only slow down the international spread of COVID-19 [when] combined with efforts to reduce transmission on a community and an individual level. [...] Travel restrictions aren't enough unless we couple it with social distancing."[39] The study found that the travel ban in Wuhan delayed the spread of the disease to other parts of mainland China only by three to five days, although it did reduce the spread of international cases by as much as 80 percent. A primary reason travel restrictions were less effective is that many people with COVID-19 do not show symptoms during the early stages of infection.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).[8] The disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, and has since spread globally, resulting in the ongoing 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.[9][10] As of 26 April 2020, more than 2.89 million cases have been reported across 185 countries and territories, resulting in more than 203,000 deaths. More than 822,000 people have recovered.[7]
Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath and loss of smell.[5][11][12] While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to viral pneumonia, multi-organ failure, or cytokine storm.[13][9][14] More concerning symptoms include difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain, confusion, difficulty waking, and bluish skin.[5] The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days but may range from two to fourteen days.[5][15]
The virus is primarily spread between people during close contact,[a] often via small droplets produced by coughing,[b] sneezing, or talking.[6][16][18] The droplets usually fall to the ground or onto surfaces rather than remaining in the air over long distances.[6][19][20] People may also become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face.[6][16] In experimental settings, the virus may survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours.[21][22][23] It is most contagious during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, although spread may be possible before symptoms appear and in later stages of the disease.[24] The standard method of diagnosis is by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab.[25] Chest CT imaging may also be helpful for diagnosis in individuals where there is a high suspicion of infection based on symptoms and risk factors; however, guidelines do not recommend using it for routine screening.[26][27]
Recommended measures to prevent infection include frequent hand washing, maintaining physical distance from others (especially from those with symptoms), covering coughs, and keeping unwashed hands away from the face.[28][29] In addition, the use of a face covering is recommended for those who suspect they have the virus and their caregivers.[30][31] Recommendations for face covering use by the general public vary, with some authorities recommending against their use, some recommending their use, and others requiring their use.[32][31][33] Currently, there is not enough evidence for or against the use of masks (medical or other) in healthy individuals in the wider community.[6] Also masks purchased by the public may impact availability for health care providers.
Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19.[6] Management involves the treatment of symptoms, supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures.[34] The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)[35][36] on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020.[10] Local transmission of the disease has occurred in most countries across all six WHO regions.[37]
File:En.Wikipedia-VideoWiki-Coronavirus disease 2019.webm
Video summary (script)
Contents
1Signs and symptoms
2Cause
2.1Transmission
2.2Virology
3Pathophysiology
3.1Immunopathology
4Diagnosis
4.1Pathology
5Prevention
6Management
6.1Medications
6.2Protective equipment
6.3Mechanical ventilation
6.4Acute respiratory distress syndrome
6.5Experimental treatment
6.6Information technology
6.7Psychological support
7Prognosis
7.1Reinfection
8History
9Epidemiology
9.1Infection fatality rate
9.2Sex differences
10Society and culture
10.1Name
10.2Misinformation
10.3Protests
11Other animals
12Research
12.1Vaccine
12.2Medications
12.3Anti-cytokine storm
12.4Passive antibodies
13See also
14Notes
15References
16External links
16.1Health agencies
16.2Directories
16.3Medical journals
Signs and symptoms
Symptom[4]Range
Fever83–99%
Cough59–82%
Loss of Appetite40–84%
Fatigue44–70%
Shortness of breath31–40%
Coughing up sputum28–33%
Loss of smell15[38] to 30%[12][39]
Muscle aches and pains11–35%
Fever is the most common symptom, although some older people and those with other health problems experience fever later in the disease.[4][40] In one study, 44% of people had fever when they presented to the hospital, while 89% went on to develop fever at some point during their hospitalization.[4][41]
Other common symptoms include cough, loss of appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath, sputum production, and muscle and joint pains.[4][5][42][43] Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea have been observed in varying percentages.[44][45][46] Less common symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, or sore throat.[47]
More serious symptoms include difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, confusion, difficulty waking, and bluish face or lips. Immediate medical attention is advised if these symptoms are present.[5][48]
In some, the disease may progress to pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death.[9][14] In those who develop severe symptoms, time from symptom onset to needing mechanical ventilation is typically eight days.[4] Some cases in China initially presented with only chest tightness and palpitations.[49]
Loss of smell was identified as a common symptom of COVID‑19 in March 2020,[12][39] although perhaps not as common as initially reported.[38] A decreased sense of smell and/or disturbances in taste have also been reported.[50] Estimates for loss of smell range from 15%[38] to 30%.[12][39]
As is common with infections, there is a delay between the moment a person is first infected and the time he or she develops symptoms. This is called the incubation period. The incubation period for COVID‑19 is typically five to six days but may range from two to 14 days,[51][52] although 97.5% of people who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days of infection.[53]
A minority of cases do not develop noticeable symptoms at any point in time.[54][55] These asymptomatic carriers tend not to get tested, and their role in transmission is not yet fully known.[56][57] However, preliminary evidence suggests they may contribute to the spread of the disease.[58][59] In March 2020, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported that 20% of confirmed cases remained asymptomatic during their hospital stay.[59][60]
A number of neurological symptoms has been reported including seizures, stroke, encephalitis and Guillain-Barre syndrome.[61] Cardiovascular related complications may include heart failure, irregular electrical activity, blood clots, and heart inflammation.[62]
Cause
See also: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Transmission
Cough/sneeze droplets visualised in dark background using Tyndall scattering
Respiratory droplets produced when a man is sneezing visualised using Tyndall scattering
File:COVID19 in numbers- R0, the case fatality rate and why we need to flatten the curve.webm
A video discussing the basic reproduction number and case fatality rate in the context of the pandemic
Some details about how the disease is spread are still being determined.[16][18] The WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say it is primarily spread during close contact and by small droplets produced when people cough, sneeze or talk;[6][16] with close contact being within approximately 1–2 m (3–7 ft).[6][63] Both sputum and saliva can carry large viral loads.[64] Loud talking releases more droplets than normal talking.[65] A study in Singapore found that an uncovered cough can lead to droplets travelling up to 4.5 metres (15 feet).[66] An article published in March 2020 argued that advice on droplet distance might be based on 1930s research which ignored the effects of warm moist exhaled air surrounding the droplets and that an uncovered cough or sneeze can travel up to 8.2 metres (27 feet).[17]
Respiratory droplets may also be produced while breathing out, including when talking. Though the virus is not generally airborne,[6][67] the National Academy of Sciences has suggested that bioaerosol transmission may be possible.[68] In one study cited, air collectors positioned in the hallway outside of people's rooms yielded samples positive for viral RNA but finding infectious virus has proven elusive.[68] The droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.[16] Some medical procedures such as intubation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may cause respiratory secretions to be aerosolised and thus result in an airborne spread.[67] Initial studies suggested a doubling time of the number of infected persons of 6–7 days and a basic reproduction number (R0 ) of 2.2–2.7, but a study published on April 7, 2020, calculated a much higher median R0 value of 5.7 in Wuhan.[69]
It may also spread when one touches a contaminated surface, known as fomite transmission, and then touches one's eyes, nose or mouth.[6] While there are concerns it may spread via faeces, this risk is believed to be low.[6][16]
The virus is most contagious when people are symptomatic; though spread is may be possible before symptoms emerge and from those who never develop symptoms.[6][70] A portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms.[71] The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says while it is not entirely clear how easily the disease spreads, one person generally infects two or three others.[18]
The virus survives for hours to days on surfaces.[6][18] Specifically, the virus was found to be detectable for one day on cardboard, for up to three days on plastic (polypropylene) and stainless steel (AISI 304), and for up to four hours on 99% copper.[21][23] This, however, varies depending on the humidity and temperature.[72][73] Surfaces may be decontaminated with many solutions (with one minute of exposure to the product achieving a 4 or more log reduction (99.99% reduction)), including 78–95% ethanol (alcohol used in spirits), 70–100% 2-propanol (isopropyl alcohol), the combination of 45% 2-propanol with 30% 1-propanol, 0.21% sodium hypochlorite (bleach), 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, or 0.23–7.5% povidone-iodine. Soap and detergent are also effective if correctly used; soap products degrade the virus' fatty protective layer, deactivating it, as well as freeing them from the skin and other surfaces.[74] Other solutions, such as benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine gluconate (a surgical disinfectant), are less effective.[75]
In a Hong Kong study, saliva samples were taken a median of two days after the start of hospitalization. In five of six patients, the first sample showed the highest viral load, and the sixth patient showed the highest viral load on the second day tested.[64]
Virology
Main article: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Illustration of SARSr-CoV virion
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, first isolated from three people with pneumonia connected to the cluster of acute respiratory illness cases in Wuhan.[76] All features of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus occur in related coronaviruses in nature.[77] Outside the human body, the virus is killed by household soap, which bursts its protective bubble.[26]
SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to the original SARS-CoV.[78] It is thought to have a zoonotic origin. Genetic analysis has revealed that the coronavirus genetically clusters with the genus Betacoronavirus, in subgenus Sarbecovirus (lineage B) together with two bat-derived strains. It is 96% identical at the whole genome level to other bat coronavirus samples (BatCov RaTG13).[47] In February 2020, Chinese researchers found that there is only one amino acid difference in the binding domain of the S protein between the coronaviruses from pangolins and those from humans; however, whole-genome comparison to date found that at most 92% of genetic material was shared between pangolin coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2, which is insufficient to prove pangolins to be the intermediate host.[79]
Pathophysiology
The lungs are the organs most affected by COVID‑19 because the virus accesses host cells via the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is most abundant in type II alveolar cells of the lungs. The virus uses a special surface glycoprotein called a "spike" (peplomer) to connect to ACE2 and enter the host cell.[80] The density of ACE2 in each tissue correlates with the severity of the disease in that tissue and some have suggested that decreasing ACE2 activity might be protective,[81][82] though another view is that increasing ACE2 using angiotensin II receptor blocker medications could be protective and these hypotheses need to be tested.[83] As the alveolar disease progresses, respiratory failure might develop and death may follow.[82]
The virus also affects gastrointestinal organs as ACE2 is abundantly expressed in the glandular cells of gastric, duodenal and rectal epithelium[84] as well as endothelial cells and enterocytes of the small intestine.[85]
ACE2 is present in the brain, and there is growing evidence of neurological manifestations in people with COVID‑19. It is not certain if the virus can directly infect the brain by crossing the barriers that separate the circulation of the brain and the general circulation. Other coronaviruses are able to infect the brain via a synaptic route to the respiratory centre in the medulla, through mechanoreceptors like pulmonary stretch receptors and chemoreceptors (primarily central chemoreceptors) within the lungs.[medical citation needed] It is possible that dysfunction within the respiratory centre further worsens the ARDS seen in COVID‑19 patients. Common neurological presentations include a loss of smell, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Encephalopathy has been noted to occur in some patients (and confirmed with imaging), with some reports of detection of the virus after cerebrospinal fluid assays although the presence of oligoclonal bands seems to be a common denominator in these patients.[86]
The virus can cause acute myocardial injury and chronic damage to the cardiovascular system.[87] An acute cardiac injury was found in 12% of infected people admitted to the hospital in Wuhan, China,[88] and is more frequent in severe disease.[89] Rates of cardiovascular symptoms are high, owing to the systemic inflammatory response and immune system disorders during disease progression, but acute myocardial injuries may also be related to ACE2 receptors in the heart.[87] ACE2 receptors are highly expressed in the heart and are involved in heart function.[87][90] A high incidence of thrombosis (31%) and venous thromboembolism (25%) have been found in ICU patients with COVID‑19 infections and may be related to poor prognosis.[91][92] Blood vessel dysfunction and clot formation (as suggested by high D-dimer levels) are thought to play a significant role in mortality, incidences of clots leading to pulmonary embolisms, and ischaemic events within the brain have been noted as complications leading to death in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Infection appears to set off a chain of vasoconstrictive responses within the body, constriction of blood vessels within the pulmonary circulation has also been posited as a mechanism in which oxygenation decreases alongside with the presentation of viral pneumonia.[93]
Another common cause of death is complications related to the kidneys[93]—SARS-CoV-2 directly infects kidney cells, as confirmed in post-mortem studies. Acute kidney injury is a common complication and cause of death; this is more significant in patients with already compromised kidney function, especially in people with pre-existing chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes which specifically cause nephropathy in the long run.[94]
Autopsies of people who died of COVID‑19 have found diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), and lymphocyte-containing inflammatory infiltrates within the lung.[95]
Immunopathology
Although SARS-COV-2 has a tropism for ACE2-expressing epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, patients with severe COVID‑19 have symptoms of systemic hyperinflammation. Clinical laboratory findings of elevated IL-2, IL-7, IL-6, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein 1-α (MIP-1α), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) indicative of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) suggest an underlying immunopathology.[96]
Additionally, people with COVID‑19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have classical serum biomarkers of CRS, including elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer, and ferritin.[97]
Systemic inflammation results in vasodilation, allowing inflammatory lymphocytic and monocytic infiltration of the lung and the heart. In particular, pathogenic GM-CSF-secreting T-cells were shown to correlate with the recruitment of inflammatory IL-6-secreting monocytes and severe lung pathology in COVID‑19 patients.[98] Lymphocytic infiltrates have also been reported at autopsy.[95]
Diagnosis
Main article: COVID-19 testing
Demonstration of a nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 testing
CDC rRT-PCR test kit for COVID-19[99]
The WHO has published several testing protocols for the disease.[100] The standard method of testing is real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).[101] The test is typically done on respiratory samples obtained by a nasopharyngeal swab; however, a nasal swab or sputum sample may also be used.[25][102] Results are generally available within a few hours to two days.[103][104] Blood tests can be used, but these require two blood samples taken two weeks apart, and the results have little immediate value.[105] Chinese scientists were able to isolate a strain of the coronavirus and publish the genetic sequence so laboratories across the world could independently develop polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect infection by the virus.[9][106][107] As of 4 April 2020, antibody tests (which may detect active infections and whether a person had been infected in the past) were in development, but not yet widely used.[108][109][110] The Chinese experience with testing has shown the accuracy is only 60 to 70%.[111] The FDA in the United States approved the first point-of-care test on 21 March 2020 for use at the end of that month.[112]
Diagnostic guidelines released by Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University suggested methods for detecting infections based upon clinical features and epidemiological risk. These involved identifying people who had at least two of the following symptoms in addition to a history of travel to Wuhan or contact with other infected people: fever, imaging features of pneumonia, normal or reduced white blood cell count, or reduced lymphocyte count.[113]
A study asked hospitalised COVID‑19 patients to cough into a sterile container, thus producing a saliva sample, and detected the virus in eleven of twelve patients using RT-PCR. This technique has the potential of being quicker than a swab and involving less risk to health care workers (collection at home or in the car).[64]
Along with laboratory testing, chest CT scans may be helpful to diagnose COVID-19 in individuals with a high clinical suspicion of infection but are not recommended for routine screening.[26][27] Bilateral multilobar ground-glass opacities with a peripheral, asymmetric, and posterior distribution are common in early infection.[26] Subpleural dominance, crazy paving (lobular septal thickening with variable alveolar filling), and consolidation may appear as the disease progresses.[26][114]
In late 2019, WHO assigned the emergency ICD-10 disease codes U07.1 for deaths from lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and U07.2 for deaths from clinically or epidemiologically diagnosed COVID‑19 without lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.[115]
Typical CT imaging findings
CT imaging of rapid progression stage
Pathology
Few data are available about microscopic lesions and the pathophysiology of COVID‑19.[116][117] The main pathological findings at autopsy are:
Macroscopy: pleurisy, pericarditis, lung consolidation and pulmonary oedema
Four types of severity of viral pneumonia can be observed:
minor pneumonia: minor serous exudation, minor fibrin exudation
mild pneumonia: pulmonary oedema, pneumocyte hyperplasia, large atypical pneumocytes, interstitial inflammation with lymphocytic infiltration and multinucleated giant cell formation
severe pneumonia: diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) with diffuse alveolar exudates. DAD is the cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe hypoxemia.
healing pneumonia: organisation of exudates in alveolar cavities and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis
plasmocytosis in BAL[118]
Blood: disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC);[119] leukoerythroblastic reaction[120]
Liver: microvesicular steatosis
Prevention
See also: 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic § Prevention, flatten the curve, and workplace hazard controls for COVID-19
Progressively stronger mitigation efforts to reduce the number of active cases at any given time—known as "flattening the curve"—allows healthcare services to better manage the same volume of patients.[121][122][123] Likewise, progressively greater increases in healthcare capacity—called raising the line—such as by increasing bed count, personnel, and equipment, helps to meet increased demand.[124]
Mitigation attempts that are inadequate in strictness or duration—such as premature relaxation of distancing rules or stay-at-home orders—can allow a resurgence after the initial surge and mitigation.[122][125]
Preventive measures to reduce the chances of infection include staying at home, avoiding crowded places, keeping distance from others, washing hands with soap and water often and for at least 20 seconds, practising good respiratory hygiene, and avoiding touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.[126][127][128] The CDC recommends covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and recommends using the inside of the elbow if no tissue is available.[126] Proper hand hygiene after any cough or sneeze is encouraged.[126] The CDC has recommended the use of cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, in part to limit transmission by asymptomatic individuals.[129] The U.S. National Institutes of Health guidelines do not recommend any medication for prevention of COVID‑19, before or after exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, outside of the setting of a clinical trial.[130]
Social distancing strategies aim to reduce contact of infected persons with large groups by closing schools and workplaces, restricting travel, and cancelling large public gatherings.[131] Distancing guidelines also include that people stay at least 6 feet (1.8 m) apart.[132] There is no medication known to be effective at preventing COVID‑19.[133] After the implementation of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, many regions have been able to sustain an effective transmission rate ("Rt") of less than one, meaning the disease is in remission in those areas.[134]
As a vaccine is not expected until 2021 at the earliest,[135] a key part of managing COVID‑19 is trying to decrease the epidemic peak, known as "flattening the curve".[122] This is done by slowing the infection rate to decrease the risk of health services being overwhelmed, allowing for better treatment of current cases, and delaying additional cases until effective treatments or a vaccine become available.[122][125]
According to the WHO, the use of masks is recommended only if a person is coughing or sneezing or when one is taking care of someone with a suspected infection.[136] For the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) face masks "... could be considered especially when visiting busy closed spaces ..." but "... only as a complementary measure ..."[137] Several countries have recommended that healthy individuals wear face masks or cloth face coverings (like scarves or bandanas) at least in certain public settings, including China,[138] Hong Kong,[139] Spain,[140] Italy (Lombardy region),[141] and the United States.[129]
Those diagnosed with COVID‑19 or who believe they may be infected are advised by the CDC to stay home except to get medical care, call ahead before visiting a healthcare provider, wear a face mask before entering the healthcare provider's office and when in any room or vehicle with another person, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, regularly wash hands with soap and water and avoid sharing personal household items.[30][142] The CDC also recommends that individuals wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the toilet or when hands are visibly dirty, before eating and after blowing one's nose, coughing or sneezing. It further recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol, but only when soap and water are not readily available.[126]
For areas where commercial hand sanitisers are not readily available, the WHO provides two formulations for local production. In these formulations, the antimicrobial activity arises from ethanol or isopropanol. Hydrogen peroxide is used to help eliminate bacterial spores in the alcohol; it is "not an active substance for hand antisepsis". Glycerol is added as a humectant.[143]
Prevention efforts are multiplicative, with effects far beyond that of a single spread. Each avoided case leads to more avoided cases down the line, which in turn can stop the outbreak in its tracks.
File:COVID19 W ENG.ogv
Handwashing instructions
Management
People are managed with supportive care, which may include fluid therapy, oxygen support, and supporting other affected vital organs.[144][145][146] The CDC recommends that those who suspect they carry the virus wear a simple face mask.[30] Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used to address the issue of respiratory failure, but its benefits are still under consideration.[41][147] Personal hygiene and a healthy lifestyle and diet have been recommended to improve immunity.[148] Supportive treatments may be useful in those with mild symptoms at the early stage of infection.[149]
The WHO, the Chinese National Health Commission, and the United States' National Institutes of Health have published recommendations for taking care of people who are hospitalised with COVID‑19.[130][150][151] Intensivists and pulmonologists in the U.S. have compiled treatment recommendations from various agencies into a free resource, the IBCC.[152][153]
Medications
See also: Coronavirus disease 2019 § Research
As of April 2020, there is no specific treatment for COVID‑19.[6][133] Research is, however, ongoing. For symptoms, some medical professionals recommend paracetamol (acetaminophen) over ibuprofen for first-line use.[154][155][156] The WHO and NIH do not oppose the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen for symptoms,[130][157] and the FDA says currently there is no evidence that NSAIDs worsen COVID‑19 symptoms.[158]
While theoretical concerns have been raised about ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, as of 19 March 2020, these are not sufficient to justify stopping these medications.[130][159][160][161] Steroids, such as methylprednisolone, are not recommended unless the disease is complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome.[162][163]
Medications to prevent blood clotting have been suggested for treatment,[91] and anticoagulant therapy with low molecular weight heparin appears to be associated with better outcomes in severe COVID‐19 showing signs of coagulopathy (elevated D-dimer).[164]
Protective equipment
See also: COVID-19 related shortages
The CDC recommends four steps to putting on personal protective equipment (PPE).[165]
Precautions must be taken to minimise the risk of virus transmission, especially in healthcare settings when performing procedures that can generate aerosols, such as intubation or hand ventilation.[166] For healthcare professionals caring for people with COVID‑19, the CDC recommends placing the person in an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR) in addition to using standard precautions, contact precautions, and airborne precautions.[167]
The CDC outlines the guidelines for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. The recommended gear is a PPE gown, respirator or facemask, eye protection, and medical gloves.[168][169]
When available, respirators (instead of facemasks) are preferred.[170] N95 respirators are approved for industrial settings but the FDA has authorised the masks for use under an Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA). They are designed to protect from airborne particles like dust but effectiveness against a specific biological agent is not guaranteed for off-label uses.[171] When masks are not available, the CDC recommends using face shields or, as a last resort, homemade masks.[172]
Mechanical ventilation
Most cases of COVID‑19 are not severe enough to require mechanical ventilation or alternatives, but a percentage of cases are.[173][174] The type of respiratory support for individuals with COVID‑19 related respiratory failure is being actively studied for people in the hospital, with some evidence that intubation can be avoided with a high flow nasal cannula or bi-level positive airway pressure.[175] Whether either of these two leads to the same benefit for people who are critically ill is not known.[176] Some doctors prefer staying with invasive mechanical ventilation when available because this technique limits the spread of aerosol particles compared to a high flow nasal cannula.[173]
Severe cases are most common in older adults (those older than 60 years,[173] and especially those older than 80 years).[177] Many developed countries do not have enough hospital beds per capita, which limits a health system's capacity to handle a sudden spike in the number of COVID‑19 cases severe enough to require hospitalisation.[178] This limited capacity is a significant driver behind calls to flatten the curve.[178] One study in China found 5% were admitted to intensive care units, 2.3% needed mechanical support of ventilation, and 1.4% died.[41] In China, approximately 30% of people in hospital with COVID‑19 are eventually admitted to ICU.[4]
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Main article: Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Mechanical ventilation becomes more complex as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) develops in COVID‑19 and oxygenation becomes increasingly difficult.[179] Ventilators capable of pressure control modes and high PEEP[180] are needed to maximise oxygen delivery while minimising the risk of ventilator-associated lung injury and pneumothorax.[181] High PEEP may not be available on older ventilators.
Options for ARDS[179]
TherapyRecommendations
High-flow nasal oxygenFor SpO2 <93%. May prevent the need for intubation and ventilation
Tidal volume6mL per kg and can be reduced to 4mL/kg
Plateau airway pressureKeep below 30 cmH2O if possible (high respiratory rate (35 per minute) may be required)
Positive end-expiratory pressureModerate to high levels
Prone positioningFor worsening oxygenation
Fluid managementGoal is a negative balance of 0.5–1.0L per day
AntibioticsFor secondary bacterial infections
GlucocorticoidsNot recommended
Experimental treatment
See also: § Research
Research into potential treatments started in January 2020,[182] and several antiviral drugs are in clinical trials.[183][184] Remdesivir appears to be the most promising.[133] Although new medications may take until 2021 to develop,[185] several of the medications being tested are already approved for other uses or are already in advanced testing.[186] Antiviral medication may be tried in people with severe disease.[144] The WHO recommended volunteers take part in trials of the effectiveness and safety of potential treatments.[187]
The FDA has granted temporary authorisation to convalescent plasma as an experimental treatment in cases where the person's life is seriously or immediately threatened. It has not undergone the clinical studies needed to show it is safe and effective for the disease.[188][189][190]
Information technology
See also: Contact tracing and Government by algorithm
In February 2020, China launched a mobile app to deal with the disease outbreak.[191] Users are asked to enter their name and ID number. The app can detect 'close contact' using surveillance data and therefore a potential risk of infection. Every user can also check the status of three other users. If a potential risk is detected, the app not only recommends self-quarantine, it also alerts local health officials.[192]
Big data analytics on cellphone data, facial recognition technology, mobile phone tracking, and artificial intelligence are used to track infected people and people whom they contacted in South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.[193][194] In March 2020, the Israeli government enabled security agencies to track mobile phone data of people supposed to have coronavirus. The measure was taken to enforce quarantine and protect those who may come into contact with infected citizens.[195] Also in March 2020, Deutsche Telekom shared aggregated phone location data with the German federal government agency, Robert Koch Institute, to research and prevent the spread of the virus.[196] Russia deployed facial recognition technology to detect quarantine breakers.[197] Italian regional health commissioner Giulio Gallera said he has been informed by mobile phone operators that "40% of people are continuing to move around anyway".[198] German government conducted a 48 hours weekend hackathon with more than 42.000 participants.[199][200] Two million people in the UK used an app developed in March 2020 by King's College London and Zoe to track people with COVID‑19 symptoms.[201] Also, the president of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, made a global call for creative solutions against the spread of coronavirus.[202]
Psychological support
See also: Mental health during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
Individuals may experience distress from quarantine, travel restrictions, side effects of treatment, or fear of the infection itself. To address these concerns, the National Health Commission of China published a national guideline for psychological crisis intervention on 27 January 2020.[203][204]
The Lancet published a 14-page call for action focusing on the UK and stated conditions were such that a range of mental health issues was likely to become more common. BBC quoted Rory O'Connor in saying, "Increased social isolation, loneliness, health anxiety, stress and an economic downturn are a perfect storm to harm people's mental health and wellbeing."[205][206]
Prognosis
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The severity of diagnosed cases in China
The severity of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in China[207]
Case fatality rates for COVID-19 by age by country.
Case fatality rates by age group:
China, as of 11 February 2020[208]
South Korea, as of 15 April 2020[209]
Spain, as of 24 April 2020[210]
Italy, as of 23 April 2020[211]
Case fatality rate depending on other health problems
Case fatality rate in China depending on other health problems. Data through 11 February 2020.[208]
Case fatality rate by country and number of cases
The number of deaths vs total cases by country and approximate case fatality rate[212]
The severity of COVID‑19 varies. The disease may take a mild course with few or no symptoms, resembling other common upper respiratory diseases such as the common cold. Mild cases typically recover within two weeks, while those with severe or critical diseases may take three to six weeks to recover. Among those who have died, the time from symptom onset to death has ranged from two to eight weeks.[47]
Children make up a small proportion of reported cases, with about 1% of cases being under 10 years, and 4% aged 10-19 years.[22] They are likely to have milder symptoms and a lower chance of severe disease than adults; in those younger than 50 years, the risk of death is less than 0.5%, while in those older than 70 it is more than 8%.[213][214][215] Pregnant women may be at higher risk for severe infection with COVID-19 based on data from other similar viruses, like SARS and MERS, but data for COVID-19 is lacking.[216][217] In China, children acquired infections mainly through close contact with their parents or other family members who lived in Wuhan or had traveled there.[213]
In some people, COVID‑19 may affect the lungs causing pneumonia. In those most severely affected, COVID-19 may rapidly progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) causing respiratory failure, septic shock, or multi-organ failure.[218][219] Complications associated with COVID‑19 include sepsis, abnormal clotting, and damage to the heart, kidneys, and liver. Clotting abnormalities, specifically an increase in prothrombin time, have been described in 6% of those admitted to hospital with COVID-19, while abnormal kidney function is seen in 4% of this group.[220] Approximately 20-30% of people who present with COVID‑19 demonstrate elevated liver enzymes (transaminases).[133] Liver injury as shown by blood markers of liver damage is frequently seen in severe cases.[221]
Some studies have found that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may be helpful in early screening for severe illness.[222]
Most of those who die of COVID‑19 have pre-existing (underlying) conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease.[223] The Istituto Superiore di Sanità reported that out of 8.8% of deaths where medical charts were available for review, 97.2% of sampled patients had at least one comorbidity with the average patient having 2.7 diseases.[224] According to the same report, the median time between the onset of symptoms and death was ten days, with five being spent hospitalised. However, patients transferred to an ICU had a median time of seven days between hospitalisation and death.[224] In a study of early cases, the median time from exhibiting initial symptoms to death was 14 days, with a full range of six to 41 days.[225] In a study by the National Health Commission (NHC) of China, men had a death rate of 2.8% while women had a death rate of 1.7%.[226] Histopathological examinations of post-mortem lung samples show diffuse alveolar damage with cellular fibromyxoid exudates in both lungs. Viral cytopathic changes were observed in the pneumocytes. The lung picture resembled acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).[47] In 11.8% of the deaths reported by the National Health Commission of China, heart damage was noted by elevated levels of troponin or cardiac arrest.[49] According to March data from the United States, 89% of those hospitalised had preexisting conditions.[227]
The availability of medical resources and the socioeconomics of a region may also affect mortality.[228] Estimates of the mortality from the condition vary because of those regional differences,[229] but also because of methodological difficulties. The under-counting of mild cases can cause the mortality rate to be overestimated.[230] However, the fact that deaths are the result of cases contracted in the past can mean the current mortality rate is underestimated.[231][232] Smokers were 1.4 times more likely to have severe symptoms of COVID‑19 and approximately 2.4 times more likely to require intensive care or die compared to non-smokers.[233]
Concerns have been raised about long-term sequelae of the disease. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority found a drop of 20% to 30% in lung capacity in some people who recovered from the disease, and lung scans suggested organ damage.[234] This may also lead to post-intensive care syndrome following recovery.[235]
Case fatality rates (%) by age and country
Age0–910–1920–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–7980-8990+
China as of 11 February[208]0.00.20.20.20.41.33.68.014.8
Denmark as of 25 April[236]0.24.515.524.940.7
Italy as of 23 April[211]0.20.00.10.40.92.610.024.930.826.1
Netherlands as of 17 April[237]0.00.30.10.20.51.57.623.230.029.3
Portugal as of 24 April[238]0.00.00.00.00.30.62.88.516.5
S. Korea as of 15 April[209]0.00.00.00.10.20.72.59.722.2
Spain as of 24 April[210]0.30.40.30.30.61.34.413.220.320.1
Switzerland as of 25 April[239]0.90.00.00.10.00.52.710.124.0
Case fatality rates (%) by age in the United States
Age0–1920–4445–5455–6465–7475–8485+
United States as of 16 March[240]0.00.1–0.20.5–0.81.4–2.62.7–4.94.3–10.510.4–27.3
Note: The lower bound includes all cases. The upper bound excludes cases that were missing data.
Estimate of infection fatality rates and probability of severe disease course (%) by age based on cases from China[241]
0–910–1920–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–7980+
Severe disease0.0
(0.0–0.0)0.04
(0.02–0.08)1.0
(0.62–2.1)3.4
(2.0–7.0)4.3
(2.5–8.7)8.2
(4.9–17)11
(7.0–24)17
(9.9–34)18
(11–38)
Death0.0016
(0.00016–0.025)0.0070
(0.0015–0.050)0.031
(0.014–0.092)0.084
(0.041–0.19)0.16
(0.076–0.32)0.60
(0.34–1.3)1.9
(1.1–3.9)4.3
(2.5–8.4)7.8
(3.8–13)
Total infection fatality rate is estimated to be 0.66% (0.39–1.3). Infection fatality rate is fatality per all infected individuals, regardless of whether they were diagnosed or had any symptoms. Numbers in parentheses are 95% credible intervals for the estimates.
Reinfection
As of March 2020, it was unknown if past infection provides effective and long-term immunity in people who recover from the disease.[242] Immunity is seen as likely, based on the behaviour of other coronaviruses,[243] but cases in which recovery from COVID‑19 have been followed by positive tests for coronavirus at a later date have been reported.[244][245][246][247] These cases are believed to be worsening of a lingering infection rather than re-infection.[247]
History
Main article: Timeline of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
The virus is thought to be natural and has an animal origin,[77] through spillover infection.[248] The actual origin is unknown, but by December 2019 the spread of infection was almost entirely driven by human-to-human transmission.[208][249] A study of the first 41 cases of confirmed COVID‑19, published in January 2020 in The Lancet, revealed the earliest date of onset of symptoms as 1 December 2019.[250][251][252] Official publications from the WHO reported the earliest onset of symptoms as 8 December 2019.[253] Human-to-human transmission was confirmed by the WHO and Chinese authorities by 20 January 2020.[254][255]
Epidemiology
Main article: 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
Several measures are commonly used to quantify mortality.[256] These numbers vary by region and over time and are influenced by the volume of testing, healthcare system quality, treatment options, time since the initial outbreak, and population characteristics such as age, sex, and overall health.[257]
The death-to-case ratio reflects the number of deaths divided by the number of diagnosed cases within a given time interval. Based on Johns Hopkins University statistics, the global death-to-case ratio is 7.0% (203,044/2,899,830) as of 26 April 2020.[7] The number varies by region.[258]
Other measures include the case fatality rate (CFR), which reflects the percent of diagnosed individuals who die from a disease, and the infection fatality rate (IFR), which reflects the percent of infected individuals (diagnosed and undiagnosed) who die from a disease. These statistics are not time-bound and follow a specific population from infection through case resolution. Many academics have attempted to calculate these numbers for specific populations.[259]
Total confirmed cases over time
Total deaths over time
Total confirmed cases of COVID‑19 per million people, 10 April 2020[260]
Total confirmed deaths due to COVID‑19 per million people, 10 April 2020[261]
Infection fatality rate
Our World in Data states that as of March 25, 2020, the infection fatality rate (IFR) cannot be accurately calculated.[262] In February, the World Health Organization estimated the IFR at 0.94%, with a confidence interval between 0.37 percent to 2.9 percent.[263] The University of Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) estimated a global CFR of 0.72 percent and IFR of 0.1 percent to 0.36 percent.[264] According to CEBM, random antibody testing in Germany suggested an IFR of 0.37 percent there.[264] Firm lower limits to local infection fatality rates were established, such as in Bergamo province, where 0.57% of the population has died, leading to a minimum IFR of 0.57% in the province. This population fatality rate (PFR) minimum increases as more people get infected and run through their disease.[265][266] Similarly, as of April 22 in the New York City area, there were 15,411 deaths confirmed from COVID-19, and 19,200 excess deaths.[267] Very recently, the first results of antibody testing have come in, but there are no valid scientific reports based on them available yet. A Bloomberg Opinion piece provides a survey.[268][269]
Sex differences
Main article: Gendered impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
The impact of the pandemic and its mortality rate are different for men and women.[270] Mortality is higher in men in studies conducted in China and Italy.[271][272][273] The highest risk for men is in their 50s, with the gap between men and women closing only at 90.[273] In China, the death rate was 2.8 percent for men and 1.7 percent for women.[273] The exact reasons for this sex-difference are not known, but genetic and behavioural factors could be a reason.[270] Sex-based immunological differences, a lower prevalence of smoking in women, and men developing co-morbid conditions such as hypertension at a younger age than women could have contributed to the higher mortality in men.[273] In Europe, of those infected with COVID‑19, 57% were men; of those infected with COVID‑19 who also died, 72% were men.[274] As of April 2020, the U.S. government is not tracking sex-related data of COVID‑19 infections.[275] Research has shown that viral illnesses like Ebola, HIV, influenza, and SARS affect men and women differently.[275] A higher percentage of health workers, particularly nurses, are women, and they have a higher chance of being exposed to the virus.[276] School closures, lockdowns, and reduced access to healthcare following the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic may differentially affect the genders and possibly exaggerate existing gender disparity.[270][277]
Society and culture
Name
During the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, the virus and disease were commonly referred to as "coronavirus" and "Wuhan coronavirus",[278][279][280] with the disease sometimes called "Wuhan pneumonia".[281][282] In the past, many diseases have been named after geographical locations, such as the Spanish flu,[283] Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and Zika virus.[284]
In January 2020, the World Health Organisation recommended 2019-nCov[285] and 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease[286] as interim names for the virus and disease per 2015 guidance and international guidelines against using geographical locations (e.g. Wuhan, China), animal species or groups of people in disease and virus names to prevent social stigma.[287][288][289]
The official names COVID‑19 and SARS-CoV-2 were issued by the WHO on 11 February 2020.[290] WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained: CO for corona, VI for virus, D for disease and 19 for when the outbreak was first identified (31 December 2019).[291] The WHO additionally uses "the COVID‑19 virus" and "the virus responsible for COVID‑19" in public communications.[290] Both the disease and virus are commonly referred to as "coronavirus" in the media and public discourse.
Misinformation
Main article: Misinformation related to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
After the initial outbreak of COVID‑19, conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation emerged regarding the origin, scale, prevention, treatment, and other aspects of the disease and rapidly spread online.[292][293][294][295]
Protests
Beginning April 17, 2020, news media began reporting on a wave of demonstrations protesting against state-mandated quarantine restrictions in in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky.[296][297]
Other animals
Humans appear to be capable of spreading the virus to some other animals. A domestic cat in Liège, Belgium, tested positive after it started showing symptoms (diarrhoea, vomiting, shortness of breath) a week later than its owner, who was also positive.[298] Tigers at the Bronx Zoo in New York, United States, tested positive for the virus and showed symptoms of COVID‑19, including a dry cough and loss of appetite.[299]
A study on domesticated animals inoculated with the virus found that cats and ferrets appear to be "highly susceptible" to the disease, while dogs appear to be less susceptible, with lower levels of viral replication. The study failed to find evidence of viral replication in pigs, ducks, and chickens.[300]
Research
Main article: COVID-19 drug development
No medication or vaccine is approved to treat the disease.[186] International research on vaccines and medicines in COVID‑19 is underway by government organisations, academic groups, and industry researchers.[301][302] In March, the World Health Organisation initiated the "SOLIDARITY Trial" to assess the treatment effects of four existing antiviral compounds with the most promise of efficacy.[303]
Vaccine
Main article: COVID-19 vaccine
There is no available vaccine, but various agencies are actively developing vaccine candidates. Previous work on SARS-CoV is being used because both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 use the ACE2 receptor to enter human cells.[304] Three vaccination strategies are being investigated. First, researchers aim to build a whole virus vaccine. The use of such a virus, be it inactive or dead, aims to elicit a prompt immune response of the human body to a new infection with COVID‑19. A second strategy, subunit vaccines, aims to create a vaccine that sensitises the immune system to certain subunits of the virus. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, such research focuses on the S-spike protein that helps the virus intrude the ACE2 enzyme receptor. A third strategy is that of the nucleic acid vaccines (DNA or RNA vaccines, a novel technique for creating a vaccination). Experimental vaccines from any of these strategies would have to be tested for safety and efficacy.[305]
On 16 March 2020, the first clinical trial of a vaccine started with four volunteers in Seattle, United States. The vaccine contains a harmless genetic code copied from the virus that causes the disease.[306]
Antibody-dependent enhancement has been suggested as a potential challenge for vaccine development for SARS-COV-2, but this is controversial.[307]
Medications
Main article: COVID-19 drug repurposing research
At least 29 phase II–IV efficacy trials in COVID‑19 were concluded in March 2020 or scheduled to provide results in April from hospitals in China.[308][309] There are more than 300 active clinical trials underway as of April 2020.[133] Seven trials were evaluating already approved treatments, including four studies on hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine.[309] Repurposed antiviral drugs make up most of the Chinese research, with nine phase III trials on remdesivir across several countries due to report by the end of April.[308][309] Other candidates in trials include vasodilators, corticosteroids, immune therapies, lipoic acid, bevacizumab, and recombinant angiotensin-converting enzyme 2.[309]
The COVID‑19 Clinical Research Coalition has goals to 1) facilitate rapid reviews of clinical trial proposals by ethics committees and national regulatory agencies, 2) fast-track approvals for the candidate therapeutic compounds, 3) ensure standardised and rapid analysis of emerging efficacy and safety data and 4) facilitate sharing of clinical trial outcomes before publication.[310][311]
Several existing medications are being evaluated for the treatment of COVID‑19,[186] including remdesivir, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, and lopinavir/ritonavir combined with interferon beta.[303][312] There is tentative evidence for efficacy by remdesivir, as of March 2020.[313][314] Clinical improvement was observed in patients treated with compassionate-use remdesivir.[315] Remdesivir inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.[316] Phase III clinical trials are underway in the U.S., China, and Italy.[186][308][317]
In 2020, a trial found that lopinavir/ritonavir was ineffective in the treatment of severe illness.[318] Nitazoxanide has been recommended for further in vivo study after demonstrating low concentration inhibition of SARS-CoV-2.[316]
There are mixed results as of 3 April 2020 as to the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID‑19, with some studies showing little or no improvement.[319][320] The studies of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin have major limitations that have prevented the medical community from embracing these therapies without further study.[133]
Oseltamivir does not inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and has no known role in COVID‑19 treatment.[133]
Anti-cytokine storm
Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) can be a complication in the later stages of severe COVID‑19. There is preliminary evidence that hydroxychloroquine may have anti-cytokine storm properties.[321]
Tocilizumab has been included in treatment guidelines by China's National Health Commission after a small study was completed.[322][323] It is undergoing a phase 2 non-randomised trial at the national level in Italy after showing positive results in people with severe disease.[324][325] Combined with a serum ferritin blood test to identify cytokine storms, it is meant to counter such developments, which are thought to be the cause of death in some affected people.[326][327][328] The interleukin-6 receptor antagonist was approved by the FDA to undergo a phase III clinical trial assessing the medication's impact on COVID‑19 based on retrospective case studies for the treatment of steroid-refractory cytokine release syndrome induced by a different cause, CAR T cell therapy, in 2017.[329] To date, there is no randomised, controlled evidence that tocilizumab is an efficacious treatment for CRS. Prophylactic tocilizumab has been shown to increase serum IL-6 levels by saturating the IL-6R, driving IL-6 across the blood-brain barrier, and exacerbating neurotoxicity while having no impact on the incidence of CRS.[330]
Lenzilumab, an anti-GM-CSF monoclonal antibody, is protective in murine models for CAR T cell-induced CRS and neurotoxicity and is a viable therapeutic option due to the observed increase of pathogenic GM-CSF secreting T-cells in hospitalised patients with COVID‑19.[331]
The Feinstein Institute of Northwell Health announced in March a study on "a human antibody that may prevent the activity" of IL-6.[332]
Passive antibodies
Transferring purified and concentrated antibodies produced by the immune systems of those who have recovered from COVID‑19 to people who need them is being investigated as a non-vaccine method of passive immunisation.[333] This strategy was tried for SARS with inconclusive results.[333] Viral neutralisation is the anticipated mechanism of action by which passive antibody therapy can mediate defence against SARS-CoV-2. Other mechanisms, however, such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and/or phagocytosis, may be possible.[333] Other forms of passive antibody therapy, for example, using manufactured monoclonal antibodies, are in development.[333] Production of convalescent serum, which consists of the liquid portion of the blood from recovered patients and contains antibodies specific to this virus, could be increased for quicker deployment.[334]
In this amusing snapshot of a sailor and his wife standing on the steps of a Victorian house, we see that the latest fashion of the day in 1918 was a white surgical mask, and with good reason!
I'm guessing that the picture was taken either in California or Florida, as there are palms visible on the left of the photograph. A bicycle is leaning against the piller of the front porch, and a small plant holder crafted of twigs and holding a slip of a Boston fern is hanging to the right of a striking stained glass window at the top of the steps. (View the photograph in its largest size to see the beautiful details of the jeweled stained glass window on the house. GORGEOUS!)
We may chuckle at this photograph, but the so-called "Spanish Flu" of 1918 was no laughing matter. Spreading to nearly every part of the world, it was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin of the virus. (Although I do remember my American History teacher in college telling us that it started at Fort Riley, Kansas among the soldiers stationed there. Horrors! The AMERICAN Flu!) Most of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened patients.
The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920, spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands. It is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide. An estimated 500 million people, one third of the world's population (approximately 1.6 billion at the time), became infected.
Scientists have used tissue samples from frozen victims to reproduce the virus for study. Given the strain's extreme virulence there has been controversy regarding the wisdom of such research. Among the conclusions of this research is that the virus kills via a cytokine storm (overreaction of the body's immune system) which explains its unusually severe nature and the concentrated age profile of its victims. The strong immune systems of young adults ravaged the body, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults caused fewer deaths.
The global mortality rate from the 1918/1919 pandemic is not known, but it is estimated that 10% to 20% of those who were infected died. With about a third of the world population infected, this case-fatality ratio means that 3% to 6% of the entire global population died. Influenza may have killed as many as 25 million in its first 25 weeks. Older estimates say it killed 40-50 million people while current estimates say 50 million to 100 million people worldwide were killed. This pandemic has been described as "the greatest medical holocaust in history" and may have killed more people than the infamous Black Death.
Lanercost Priory was founded by Robert de Vaux between 1165 and 1174, the most likely date being 1169, to house Augustinian canons. The priory is situated at the village of Lanercost, Cumbria, England, within sight of Naworth Castle, with which it had close connections. The Lanercost Chronicle, a thirteenth-century history of England and the Wars of Scottish Independence, was compiled by the monks of the priory.
It is now open to the public and in the guardianship of English Heritage.
The foundation date was traditionally 1169, but can only be dated definitely between 1165 and 1174 on the evidence of charters. The dedication is to Mary Magdalene, unusual in the region.
It would seem the arrangements for founding the Priory were well advanced by the time of the foundation charter, as opposed to the more gradual process at Wetheral and St Bees priories. Robert de Vaux gave the land of Lanercost "between the ancient wall and the Irthing and between Burth and Poltros, the vill of Walton by stated bounds, the church of that vill with the chapel of 'Treverman,' the churches of Irthington, Brampton, Carlaton and Farlam". The charter of foundation states that the benefaction was made for the sake of Henry II, and for the health of the souls of his father Hubert and his mother Grace.
Soon after the foundation of the house, Robert de Vaux granted to the canons the right of free election, so that when the lord prior died the person on whom the choice of the canons or the greater part of them fell should be elected in his place.
The bulk of the church building dates from the late 13th century, though there is evidence of earlier work. The Priory buildings were constructed, at least in part, from stones derived from Hadrian's Wall, including a number of Roman inscriptions that were built into its fabric.
The proximity to Scotland inevitably had an effect on the fortunes of the priory, and it was a target of Scots attacks in retaliation for English raids. This became acute after the outbreak of the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1296 the Scottish army encamped at Lanercost after burning Hexham priory and Lambley nunnery. The Scots were interrupted before the damage could become great, and they retreated through Nicolforest, having burnt some houses of the monastery but not the church. Similar depredations under Wallace continued the next year and led to calls for reprisals from the English.
Edward I made several visits to the priory in the latter part of his reign. In the autumn of 1280 he visited in the company of Queen Eleanor on his way to Newcastle. The canons met him at the gate in their copes, and although staying only a few days, he found time to take 200 stags and hinds while hunting in Inglewood forest. In 1300, on his way to the siege of Caerlaverock Castle, Edward stayed at Lanercost for a short while.
Edward's last visit was in 1306, travelling in a horse litter owing to age and illness, and accompanied by Queen Margaret, his second wife. He arrived at Michaelmas and his stay extended until the following Easter, a duration of 6 months which put a huge burden upon the resources of the priory. It was while Edward was at Lanercost that the brothers of Robert de Brus and other Scottish captives were sent to Carlisle for execution by his order.
This last royal visit depleted the reserves of the priory, and the canons begged him for recompense, but a deal to acquire the church of 'Hautwyselle,' worth about 100 marks a year, fell through. However the king granted the appropriation of the churches of Mitford in Northumberland and Carlatton in Cumberland, for the relief of the Priory. In a letter to the Pope, Edward gave his reasons for generosity being the special devotion he felt to St Mary Magdalene, his long stay due to illness, and making good the damage of the Scots. Edward died shortly afterwards at Burgh by Sands in July 1307, whilst still campaigning against the Scots.
In August 1311, Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, came with his army and made it his headquarters for three days, "committing infinite evils" and imprisoning some canons, though later letting them free. By contrast in 1328, in fulfilment of the treaty between the Bruce and Edward III, a mutual interchange of good offices took place between the priory of Lanercost and Kelso Abbey in respect of their common revenues out of the church of Lazonby. Later though, in 1346, David II ransacked the conventual buildings and desecrated the church. Fresh from the overthrow of Liddel he "entered the holy place with haughtiness, threw out the vessels of the temple, stole the treasures, broke the doors, took the jewels, and destroyed everything they could lay hands on". As late as 1386, one of the priors was taken prisoner by the Scots and ransomed for a fixed sum of money and four score quarters of corn.
The fortunes of the priory were linked to the state of warfare and raids on the border. The priory was in relatively affluent circumstances before the outbreak of the war of Independence in 1296, and the annual revenue of the house was returned at £74 12s 6d in the 1291 valuation of Pope Nicholas IV. But by the taxation of 1318, the value had fallen almost to nothing.
Lanercost Priory was dissolved in 1538 by Henry VIII, and the conventual buildings were stripped of their roofs, excepting the church building which continued in use as the parish church. In the late 17th century, as the nave deteriorated, the congregation used just the north aisle which had been re-roofed.
In 1747, the nave was re-roofed, but by 1847 the Priory was in a state of disrepair to the extent that the east end roof collapsed. However, by 1849, The church was in use again after a major restoration by Anthony Salvin. In the 1870s, there was further restoration by the Carlisle architect C. J. Ferguson.
At the Dissolution, ownership had passed to the Dacre family, and then in the early 18th century to the Howards. In 1929, the Priory ruins were put into public ownership, and today they are managed by English Heritage.
The nave has an aisle to the north but a large wall to the south with no aisle, where it abuts the cloister. The impressive ruined chancel and crossing of ca. 1220–1230 are in a good state of preservation; as high as the eaves, and would only require a roof and windows to be restored to the original condition. The oldest masonry is in the south transept, and dates from the late 12th century. The cloister and monastic buildings have been largely dismantled, except for the west range, which was made into a house by Sir Thomas Dacre in the 16th century. The statue of St Mary Magdalene, given by King Edward I, still survives in a niche high up on the west front. A dossal – an embroidered wall hanging – designed by William Morris in 1881, underwent restoration before being replaced behind the priory altar in 2013–14.
The priory has an unusual medieval stone carving called the Lanercost Cross with an inscription dating back to 1214. Originally the cross was set just outside the entrance to the church. Today, the stump of the cross remains, but the main shaft is housed inside the priory. In the churchyard is the tomb of Thomas Addison, scientist and physician. In the nave is a memorial to the Reverend Henry Whitehead, former vicar of Lanercost, best known for his pioneering epidemiological work with John Snow on cholera.
Humphrey Dacre, 1st Baron Dacre, and his widow Mabel were both buried at the Priory in the 15th century, as is Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre.
Lanercost is a village in the northern part of Cumbria, England. The settlement is in the civil parish of Burtholme, in the City of Carlisle local government district. Lanercost is known for the presence of Lanercost Priory and its proximity to Hadrian's Wall.
History
Lanercost Priory was founded in 1165 as an Augustinian house of Canons.
Robert de Vaux, also known as Robert de Vallibus, (died c.1195), Baron of Gilsland, was a prominent 12th-century English noble, who served as Sheriff of Cumberland in 1175 and 1176.
Biography
Vaux was the eldest son of Hubert I de Vaux, Lord of Gilsland and his wife Grace. Robert succeeded his father in 1165, as a confirmation of Gilsland was given to him by King Henry II of England. He founded the Augustinian Lanercost Priory in c.1169. Robert was required to pay forty shillings for scutage, for not participating in the Norman invasion of Ireland by Henry II. Robert was appointed in Michelmas 1174 as the Sheriff of Cumberland and also served his last term from Michelmas 1183. In 1186 he was fined a hundred marks for a variety of offences including allowing prisoners to escape. He held Carlisle against the Scottish invasion of Cumberland in 1173 and 1174 by King William I of Scotland, surrendering the castle after a second siege in 1174. Robert was heir to his uncle Randolph, who died without issue.
Robert, married Ada, widow of Simon de Morville, the daughter and heiress of William de Engaine, died without surviving issue. Robert's son William died during his father's lifetime. Robert died circa 1195 and was succeeded by his brother Ranulf.
Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13th centuries:
Various congregations of Canons Regular also follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, embrace the evangelical counsels and lead a semi-monastic life, while remaining committed to pastoral care appropriate to their primary vocation as priests. They generally form one large community which might serve parishes in the vicinity, and are organized into autonomous congregations.
Several orders of friars who live a mixed religious life of contemplation and apostolic ministry. The largest and most familiar is the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), founded in 1244 and originally known as the Hermits of Saint Augustine (OESA). They are commonly known as the Austin Friars in England. Two other orders, the Order of Augustinian Recollects and the Discalced Augustinians, were once part of the OSA under a single prior general. The Recollects, founded in 1588 as a reform movement in Spain, became autonomous in 1612. The Discalceds became an independent congregation in 1592, and were raised to the status of a separate mendicant order in 1610.
There are also some Anglican religious orders created in the 19th century that follow Augustine's rule. These are composed only of women in several different communities of Augustinian nuns.
Canon (Greek: κανονικός, romanized: kanonikós) is a Christian title usually used to refer to a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule.
Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, in one of the houses within the precinct of or close to a cathedral or other major church and conducting his life according to the customary discipline or rules of the church. This way of life grew common (and is first documented) in the 8th century AD. In the 11th century, some churches required clergy thus living together to adopt the rule first proposed by Saint Augustine that they renounce private wealth. Those who embraced this change were known as Augustinians or Canons Regular, whilst those who did not were known as secular canons.
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that it uses these properties to "bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year". Within its portfolio are Stonehenge, Dover Castle, Tintagel Castle and the best preserved parts of Hadrian's Wall. English Heritage also manages the London blue plaque scheme, which links influential historical figures to particular buildings.
When originally formed in 1983, English Heritage was the operating name of an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government, officially titled the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, that ran the national system of heritage protection and managed a range of historic properties. It was created to combine the roles of existing bodies that had emerged from a long period of state involvement in heritage protection. In 1999, the organisation merged with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and the National Monuments Record, bringing together resources for the identification and survey of England's historic environment.
On 1 April 2015, English Heritage was divided into two parts: Historic England, which inherited the statutory and protection functions of the old organisation, and the new English Heritage Trust, a charity that would operate the historic properties, and which took on the English Heritage operating name and logo. The British government gave the new charity an £80 million grant to help establish it as an independent trust, although the historic properties remain in the ownership of the state.
History
Non-departmental public body
Over the centuries, what is now called "heritage" has been the responsibility of a series of state departments. There was the "Kings Works" after the Norman Conquest, the Office of Works (1378–1832), the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues and Works (1832–1851), and the Ministry of Works (1851–1962). Responsibility subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Public Building and Works (1962–1970), then to the Department of the Environment (1970–1997), and it is now with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The state's legal responsibility for the historic environment goes back to the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882. The central government subsequently developed several systems of heritage protection for different types of assets, introducing listing for buildings after World War II, and for conservation areas in the 1960s.
In 1983, Secretary of State for the Environment Michael Heseltine gave national responsibility for the historic environment to a semi‑autonomous agency (or "quango") to operate under ministerial guidelines and to government policy. The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission was formed under the terms of the National Heritage Act 1983 on 1 April 1984. The 1983 Act also dissolved the bodies that had previously provided independent advice – the Ancient Monuments Board for England and the Historic Buildings Council for England – and incorporated those functions into the new body. Soon after, the commission was given the operating name of English Heritage by its first chairman, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.
A national register of historic parks and gardens, (e.g. Rangers House, Greenwich) was set up in 1984, and a register for historic battlefields (e.g. the Battle of Tewkesbury) was created in March 1995. 'Registration' is a material consideration in the planning process. In April 1999 English Heritage merged with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) and the National Monuments Record (NMR), bringing together resources for the identification and survey of England's historic environment. By adoption, that included responsibility for the national record of archaeological sites from the Ordnance Survey, the National Library of Aerial Photographs, and two million RAF and Ordnance Survey aerial photographs. Those, together with other nationally important external acquisitions, meant that English Heritage was one of the largest publicly accessible archives in the UK: 2.53 million records are available online, including more than 426,000 images. In 2010–11, it recorded 4.3 million unique online user sessions and over 110,000 people visited NMR exhibitions held around the country in 2009–10. In 2012, the section responsible for archive collections was renamed the English Heritage Archive.
As a result of the National Heritage Act 2002, English Heritage acquired administrative responsibility for historic wrecks and submerged landscapes within 12 miles (19 km) of the English coast. The administration of the listed building system was transferred from DCMS to English Heritage in 2006. However, actual listing decisions still remained the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who was required by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to approve a list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
Following the Public Bodies Reform in 2010, English Heritage was confirmed as the government's statutory adviser on the historic environment, and the largest source of non-lottery grant funding for heritage assets. It was retained on grounds of "performing a technical function which should remain independent from Government". However, the department also suffered from budget cuts during the recession of the 2010s, resulting in a repairs deficit of £100 million
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
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Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.
'No Man is an Island'
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
“Nessun Uomo è un'Isola”
Nessun uomo è un’isola, completo in se stesso; ogni uomo è un pezzo del continente, una parte del tutto. Se anche solo una zolla venisse lavata via dal mare, l’Europa ne sarebbe diminuita, come se le mancasse un promontorio, come se venisse a mancare una dimora di amici tuoi, o la tua stessa casa. La morte di qualsiasi uomo mi sminuisce, perché io sono parte dell’umanità. E dunque non chiedere mai per chi suona la campana: suona per te».
John Donne
……………………………………………..
Chronicles report that in Italy the epidemic caused by the "new flu" began on January 31, 2020, when two tourists from China tested positive for the new coronavirus, subsequently an infectious outbreak of covid-19 was confirmed on 21 February 2020 in Codogno in Lombardy with 16 cases, increased the day after to 60 cases, with the first deaths occurring in those days (but the presence of cases occurred elsewhere and on earlier dates is not excluded, due to the initial difficulty in recognizing a "virus new and unknown "). The infectious epicenter had been identified in the wet market of the city of Wuhan, located in the center of China: on December 31, 2019 the Whuan Health Commission reported to the WHO of cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (city that was quarantined on 23 January 2020, which was followed shortly after the quarantine of the entire province of Hubei), on 9 January 2020 the Chinese scientific committee reported that a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) had been identified as the causative agent of the infectious pathology, then called Covid-19. In Italy, from the identification of "red areas" at high risk of contagion in Lombardy and Veneto, it wasn't long before Italy was declared a risk zone. The hospitals, with the doctors, nurses, health workers, were all busy dealing with the new emergency: first aid, infectious disease wards, resuscitations, supported by 118 service and law enforcement agencies; the fear on the part of those who were (and are) called to provide assistance, was that of becoming infected and becoming the "greasers" of the new virus towards others, towards their family members. Every day the media viewed the images of military vehicles with dismay, which lined up carrying numerous coffins of innocent victims who died of coronavirus from the hospital in Bergamo. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared that there was talk of a pandemic now, the infection had now acquired a worldwide spread.
News not long appeared in the media, is the theory put forward by the immunologist Antonio Giordano, an Italian scientist transplanted to the USA, who says that southern Italy was less subject to epidemic violence than the north of Italy, because it, the south, it would be protected by a "genetic shield" for an interaction that took place during the evolution of DNA in relation to the external environment. Not wanting to bother the various theories that attempt to explain the epidemiological differences that have been found between northern and southern Italy, one thing is certain in Sicily: the various great terrible epidemics in Sicily have left indelible traces in the relationship of the Sicilians with the their Saints, entities invoked "as a shield" to protect from the worries of life.
San Sebastiano (together with San Rocco), is carried in procession in numerous Sicilian feasts; He was invoked to protect against the plague (and all contagious diseases) as early as 1575, the year in which the plague raged in Sicily.
Santa Rosalia on 9 June 1625 was carried in procession, her mortal remains accompanied by the song "Te Deum Laudamus", while they passed in the lazaretto quarters of Palermo, they operated the instantaneous healing of the sick poor under the eyes of those present, so that the infection stopped (since then she became the patron saint of Palermo).
In the Sicilian town of Castroreale, "u Signuri Longu" (the tall Christ), is a life-size wooden statue hoisted on a pole about 14 meters high, this Crucifix is carried in procession and is invoked because considered miraculous, having saved the Mrs. Giuseppina Vadalà of Castroreale from certain death: now dying, she was miraculously healed at the passage of the Sacred Crucifix (we are in the year 1854, the cholera epidemic in Messina killed about 30,000 people in the short two-month period).
This photo-story of mine was made in Sicily after the partial reopening of May 18: I dedicate it to the Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, 2020 in Wuhan, for having tried to fight against the new coronavirus, and of which he was trying to throw a cry of alarm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Le cronache riportano che in in Italia l’epidemia causata dalla “nuova influenza” ha avuto inizio il 31 gennaio 2020, quando due turisti provenienti dalla Cina sono risultati positivi al nuovo coronavirus, successivamente un focolaio infettivo di covid-19 è stato confermato il 21 febbraio 2020 a Codogno in Lombardia con 16 casi, aumentati il giorno dopo a 60 casi, coi primi decessi avvenuti in quei giorni (ma non è escludersi la presenza di casi avvenuti altrove ed in date antecedenti, causa la difficoltà iniziale a riconoscere un “virus nuovo e sconosciuto”). L’epicentro infettivo era stato individuato nel mercato umido della città di Wuhan, situata nel centro della Cina: il 31 dicembre 2019 la Commissione Sanitaria di Whuan segnalò all’OMS dei casi di polmonite ad eziologia ignota (città che fu messa in quarantena il 23 gennaio 2020, alla quale fece seguito poco dopo la quarantena dell’intera provincia di Hubei), il 9 gennaio 2020 il comitato scientifico Cinese riferì che era stato identificato un nuovo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) quale agente causale della patologia infettiva, poi chiamata Covid-19. In Italia, dalla individuazione di “zone rosse” ad alto rischio di contagio in Lombardia ed in Veneto, non passò molto tempo che l’Italia tutta fu dichiarata zona a rischio. Gli ospedali, con i medici, gli infermieri, gli operatori sanitari, furono tutti impegnati a fronteggiare la nuova emergenza: in prima linea i pronto soccorso, i reparti di malattie infettive, le rianimazioni, supportati dal servizio 118 e dalla forze dell’ordine; il timore da parte di coloro che erano (e sono) chiamati a prestare assistenza, era quello di essere infettati e diventare gli “untori” del nuovo virus verso gli altri, verso i propri familiari. Sui media ogni giorno si osservavano con sgomento le immagini di mezzi militari che, in fila, trasportavano numerosi le bare di vittime innocenti decedute a cause del coronavirus, provenienti dall’ospedale di Bergamo. L’11 marzo 2020 l’OMS dichiarò che oramai si parlava di pandemia, l’infezione aveva acquistato oramai una diffusione a carattere mondiale.
Notizia non da molto apparsa sui media, è la teoria avanzata dall’immunologo Antonio Giordano, scienziato italiano trapiantato negli USA, che afferma che il meridione d’Italia è stato meno soggetto alla violenza epidemica rispetto al settentrione d’Italia, perché esso, il meridione, sarebbe come protetto da uno “scudo genetico” per una interazione avvenuta nel corso dell’evoluzione del DNA in rapporto con l’ambiente esterno. Non volendo scomodare le varie teorie che tentano di spiegare le differenza epidemiologiche che si sono riscontrate tra il nord ed il sud Italia, in Sicilia una cosa è certa: le varie grandi terribili epidemia avutesi in Sicilia, hanno lasciato tracce indelebili nel rapporto dei Siciliani coi loro Santi, entità queste invocate “come scudo” a protezione dagli affanni della vita.
San Sebastiano (insieme a San Rocco), viene portato in processione in numerose feste Siciliane; Egli venne invocato a protezione contro la peste (e di tutte le malattie contagiose) fin dall’anno 1575, anno in cui in Sicilia infuriò la peste.
Santa Rosalia il 9 giugno 1625 venne portata in processione, le sue spoglie mortali accompagnate dal canto “Te Deum Laudamus”, mentre passavano nei quartieri lazzaretto di Palermo, operavano la guarigione istantanea dei poveri malati sotto gli occhi dei presenti, cosicchè il contagio si arrestò (da allora divenne la Santa Patrona di Palermo).
Nella cittadina Siciliana di Castroreale, “u Signuri Longu” (il Cristo alto), è una statua lignea a grandezza naturale issata su di un palo alto circa 14 metri, tale Crocifisso viene portato in processione ed è invocato perché considerato miracoloso, avendo salvato la signora Giuseppina Vadalà di Castroreale da morte certa: oramai moribonda, fu miracolosamente guarita al passaggio del Sacro Crocifisso (siamo nell’anno 1854, l’epidemia di colera a Messina uccise circa 30.000 persone del breve periodo di due mesi).
Questo mio foto-racconto è stato realizzato in Sicilia dopo la parziale riapertura del 18 maggio: lo dedico al medico Cinese Li Wenliang, morto il 7 febbraio 2020 a Wuhan, per aver cercato di combattere contro il nuovo coronavirus, e del quale tentava di gettare un grido di allarme.