Items

• 
  2022-07-09

  A New World: How Covid-19 affected my anniversary trip.

  Originally, I always had the idea of taking my wife on a Mediterranean cruise for our 10 year wedding anniversary. However, it seemed as if Covid-19 would make those plans impossible to carry out. Thankfully, vaccines became available, and the Mediterranean countries would begin to open up to tourism again with some restrictions. On July 2022, we flew out to Rome, Italy to spend a few days there before the cruise itself. Even going through the airport was an entirely different experience, since this was our first time seriously dealing with the restricted rules(we had previously isolated ourselves for over a year and did everything online). We had to wear masks everywhere in the airport, our tram was partitioned into sections by barriers, and airplane boarding took longer since the boarding groups were made significantly smaller. When we arrived in Rome, we still had to wear masks inside of buildings(which was consistent with our experience all throughout Europe) and transportation(some buses enforced it, some didn't). In addition, as we visited restaurants, shops, and tourist locations, there were only a limited amount of people allowed in each location since there was a priority in having space between different groups. The restrictions continued as we embarked on our cruise a few days after. If you were vaccinated(as we were), you only had to take one antigen rapid test before you entered the ship to make sure that you did not have Covid-19. If you were not vaccinated, you had to take two tests, one a few days before you entered the ship, and one on the day of embarkation. This was unique, as a lot of other cruise brands were not letting anyone who was unvaccinated aboard their ships. When we boarded the boat, each group was given their own table and their own serving team(with masks on). This was possible because the allowed capacity that was on the boat was severely reduced. This allowed for us to have a more intimate experience with the serving staff, which was still at a relatively high capacity as compared to the population of the customers. As it comes to the picture itself, it is very important because we were only allowed to take off our masks for pictures inside of buildings. In addition, that picture was inside of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which is a place that I have always wanted to enter due to its Christian symbolism. The walls and the statues tell the story of Christianity that has spanned over thousands of years.
• 
  2023-02-27

  HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 149

  what is a trillion
• 
  2020-03-26

  ITALY Covid-19 Lockdown

  In the summer of 2019, I officially went to Italy to live with my significant other. The transition to a new country was difficult, but I eventually made it. Throughout my adventure, I've met some wonderful individuals and seen incredible sights that I never imagined I'd see. The year 2019 was full of happiness, adventures, and meeting the most incredible friends whom I will remember for the rest of my life. My best friends from the United States came to visit me at the beginning of 2020, and we had no idea that as soon as they left, the entire country would be put under lockdown. Everyone has been talking about the COVID-19 and how it is affecting Asia as the beginning of March 2020 approaches. There was a word going around that we had a couple of cases in town, and those cases grew and swelled. Individuals did not possess masks, so everyone used whatever they had to cover their mouth and nose. The government announced a lockdown out of nowhere, masks were required to be worn inside the building, and people did not own masks. The government then declared a total lockdown, with people only allowed to leave their houses for essentials like the hospital, grocery store, or job. Except for grocery stores, nothing was open; whenever we leave our homes, we must fill out a paper stating where we are going and why, as carabinieri (police) are stationed throughout the city to stop those who leave their homes. Being stranded at home has its ups and downs, and it was critical to maintaining our emotional and physical health during this trying time. The lockdown lasted nearly two months, during which time Italy was placed under complete lockdown and declared a red zone. Everyone was suffering as a result of not being able to travel anywhere, much alone take a walk outside. It was a difficult situation, especially because we were in a foreign country and our families in the United States were concerned. When I went to the grocery store and stepped outside one time, it felt as if no one else existed; the roads were deserted, the air was still, and I felt as if I was the only one in the town.
• 
  2022-04-21

  Study shows women with 'Long COVID' have more symptoms than men

  This is a news story from the Hindustan Times. There has been a study showing that women tend to be affected more by 'Long COVID' symptoms than men do. The research was published in the Journal of Women's Health. In the study, women are more likely to have fatigue, difficulty swallowing, and chest pain after a COVID infection compared to men.
• 
  11/27/2020

  Cristiano Favazza Oral History, 2020/11/27

  C19OH
• 
  05/10/2021

  Amanda Harding Oral History, 2021/05/10

  C19OH
• 
  2020-05-12

  Smell and taste disorders during COVID‐19 outbreak: Cross‐sectional study on 355 patients, Dell’Era, Valeria ; Farri, Filippo ; Garzaro, Giacomo ; Gatto, Miriam ; Aluffi Valletti, Paolo ; Garzaro, Massimiliano, 2020 (Hoboken, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Head & neck, 2020-07, Vol.42 (7), p.1591-1596).

  2. Description: Among the most commonly observed effects of Covid-19 on patients are deteriorations (temporary or permanent) of taste and smell (Dell’Era et al. 2020, p. 1591). During the Italian Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, Novara University Hospital conducted a cross-sectional study examining the extent of smell-and-taste related disorders among patients confirmed to have contracted the virus. Results from the study suggest that an overwhelming share of patients experience sharp alterations in both senses, the severity of which differs from subject to subject. While extreme symptoms disappeared a fortnight after subjects participated in the study, a portion of respondents reported lingering sensory effects resulting from the virus (Dell’Era et al. 2020, pp. 1591-96).
• 2021-10-09

  Italy Trip 2020 Cancelled

  At the end of my senior year, before graduating with a Bachelor's, I was supposed to take a trip with a small group of students and a couple professors to Italy. When the pandemic hit, the school decided to cancel all summer course studies abroad. The trip itself was supposed to be a great way to end my senior year before I graduated. I was very much excited to finish my undergrad years with this one trip to Italy.
• 2020-02-14

  COVID-19: From Italy To New York

  In February of 2020, from the 14th to the 22nd, I was on a school trip in Italy. It's safe to say I was having the best time of my life, until I became ill towards the end of the trip. I felt extremely lethargic and fatigued, my nose and throat were as stuffed as could be, my voice was gone, and my body was consistently hot. It wasn't until I got home from my trip that I suspected my illness was COVID-19, because I was informed that the exact day I returned home from Italy, Venice went on lockdown. I had been in Venice at the beginning of my trip. My suspicions heightened once my mother, father, and sister all got COVID-19 several days later, yet I was healthy as a horse again. In the weeks I had been quarantined with them, I hadn't gotten sick again. Now, this is my earliest memory from quarantine, and quite frankly one of the only memories since the days began to mesh together. I remember time no longer felt real, and I tried to pass it with as many activities as possible. The family began solving puzzles and playing more board games. I was playing more of my instruments, including piano and ukulele. I listened to countless albums and new artists. But, in all of the good, there still remained some low points such as overeating and inactiveness. I'm sure everybody can find pros and cons in their quarantine experience, definitely more cons for some. But, I just wanted to share what I remembered from my own experience. It's the story we always told people when they asked if we ever got infected; I'd say I'm pretty sure I came home from the best trip in the world only to infect my family and almost immediately go into lockdown.
• 
  07/09/2021

  Joseph Giangreco-Marotta Oral History, 2021/07/09

  Wife interviews husband about COVID-19 experience.
• 
  2020

  Pandemic Street Art: TVBoy and pop street art during the pandemic

  TVBoy is the artist name of Salvatore Benintende, Italian graffiti artist from based in Barcelona, Spain. Through the months of the pandemic, TVBoy has put up several wheat paste murals incorporating imagery of the pandemic, social justice issues, Catholic imagery, and political topics: a school of fish wearing masks; former President Trump in a Superman costume; the Sacred Heart Jesus figure wearing a mask; imagery of Antonio Canova’s statue The Three Graces (the mythological three charities, daughters of Zeus — Euphrosyne, Aglaea and Thalia — said to represent youth/beauty, mirth, and elegance) wearing form-fitting scrubs, clogs, masks, and representing three well known vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca); imagery of Leonardo da Vinci's painting The Last Supper but with Jesus wearing a mask and separating two sides of the table; and others.
• 
  2021-01-31

  Growing up online

  I have a lot of family that lives in Italy, which is a place that has been hit harder than most by COVID 19. I have not been able to see my family in over a year now due to the pandemic closing boarders. I now have to talk to all my family members via FaceTime.
• 
  2020-05-12

  Elderly Man Must Keep Shop Open To Help Support Family in Alife, Italy

  I decided to share this image because it shows my grandmother’s (nonna’s) brother working in the family-owned shop that is located in Alife, Italy. This shop has been owned by my family since the early 1900s. My grandmother’s brother has worked in the shop since he was a little kid. My grandmother’s brother was forced to let his employees go because he simply could not afford to keep them as employees throughout the pandemic. To keep the shop open, he must work at the shop every day. The pandemic has been extremely difficult for him financially as this is his only means of income. I decided to upload this image because I think it will be valuable for future historians as it shows what life is like for elderly people in Italy during the pandemic. Many are unable to retire because they cannot afford to stop working. This item is an attempt to fill an archival silence and amplify the voices of a marginalized group because my grandmother’s brother is 75 years old and has decided to continue working during the pandemic because it is not financially possible to retire. He attempted to apply for the relief package but was not qualified for it and was denied. The pandemic has been extremely difficult for the elderly especially those that have underlying health conditions because they have to make the difficult decision to return to work which can be dangerous because they can be exposed to COVID. My grandmother’s brother is also a veteran and he is not technologically savvy therefore, it has been challenging for him to amplify his voice. This form of archival silence is an unintentional unacknowledged speech act.
• 
  2020-07-27

  Economic Relief Package For Homeowners in Alife, Italy

  I decided to include this screenshot of the economic relief package that homeowners that have a mortgage have the opportunity of receiving. I think it is interesting to discover what relief packages are offered in Alife, Italy compared to the United States of America. This is important to me because my family lives in Alife, Italy, and are homeowners that have mortgages and they have been financially affected by COVID-19. This item is of interest to future historians because it will help future historians understand what economic relief packages were offered to the citizens in the region of Campania Italy. Future historians will have a better understanding of how the economic relief packages in the United States of America compared to the economic relief packages in regions in other countries such as in Campania Italy which is the region that Alife is located. As the article entitled, “What archivists keep or not” documents are a great way to “help us remember, to share, to compare, to analyse and to synthesize information” (Thompson, 3).
• 
  2020-11-14

  Online Learning Notice in Alife, Italy

  Translation to the above newsletter - Activities in the presence of the childcare services and the first grades of primary school will resume from 24 November, after screening on a voluntary basis on teaching and non-teaching staff and on pupils. For different school levels and orders, the Regional Crisis Unit unanimously felt it was necessary to confirm distance learning. This newsletter explains the precautions that a small town in Italy is taking in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I think it is important to learn about what other countries are doing in order to keep the community safe. This is important to me because my family is from a small town in Italy called Alife. My family in Alife has younger children that have been directly affected by this new decision to move the school from in-person to online learning. This object demonstrates something significant about my generation under COVID because many children are being taught online rather than in person in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As the article entitled “What do archivists keep or not” describes “documents of all types help us to remember, to share, to compare, to analyse and to synthesize information” *Thompson, 3). Documents are pivotal because they can create a snapshot of what life was like during a monumental event in history. Many of these children have never experienced online learning and therefore, it can be challenging for children to remain engaged and motivated to learn.
• 
  2020-05-12

  Occupancy Limits in Family-Owned Store in Small Town in Alife, Italy

  “ingresso permesso ad un massimo di 1 persona per volta” – Translation “admission allowed to a maximum of 1 person at a time” The image is of the front of the store that my family owns in a small town in Italy called Alife. Due to COVID-19, my family had to display signs which explain a change in the occupancy limit. It is interesting to see how the town has imposed occupancy restrictions that are similar to the restrictions in the United States of America. As described in the article “Professional Ethics for Archivists” this photo “provid[es] a baseline for measuring the present state of affairs” (Professional Ethics for Archivists, 22). This image was published to Facebook which has the ability to store more information than a brick-and-mortar location. This image responds to the needs and considerations of an ethical archival collection because it reflects the current social climate that business owners are experiencing across the world due to COVID-19.
• 
  2020-04-01

  Covid Disinfection in Alife, Italy

  I decided to share this video because it will help future historians understand how a small town in Italy responded to the pandemic. This item is of interest to future historians because it shows how disinfecting the town center in a small town in Italy was deemed to be essential in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This video is critical for future generations and historians because it will allow them to understand what measures were taken. Future historians can use this video and compare it to pandemics from previous generations and discover what protocols are similar. This video is important to me because my family is from a small town in Italy and it is interesting to see the steps that the town took in order to disinfect the town. I also found it interesting to compare how the United States of America disinfected its towns and how it is similar to the town of Alife.
• 2020-07-13

  Covid Quarantine

  Before I found out about Covid-19 I was on a trip in Italy. When we arrived in Naples the took our temperature and I was confused. I knew there was a virus in China but I did not know it was in Italy yet. We had a great trip and when we got back to LA we heard there indeed was a virus up it Italy. We were shocked and felt almost every emotion. We were happy we got done with the trip before Italy shutdown, but we were sad we were going to be going into Quarantine.
• 2020-12-11

  Pre- Covid, By a teenage girl in 2020

  Hello, I am a 14-year-old girl in 2020. Before the virus hit the United States it was really normal. I got up at 7:30, went to school, got home at 2:55, then went to swimming practice. Me and my friends already knew that this was not going to be a normal year. Before covid, a few other things happened. Australia burnt down and World war 3 almost started. This happened in a really short amount of time. The first time I heard about the virus is when the kids on a school field trip to Italy came back. None of them were sick, but they got out of there just before Italy shut down. There were a few rumors about how the virus started. At first, I heard it was from a snake then I heard it was because someone in China ate a bat. The second one turned out the be true. I was not really worried about the virus at first because I thought that China would have the common sense to lock down their country the second they realized how bad it was and how quickly it spreads, but no of course they don't. Before my school shut down I was at a golf tournament for school. Some of the other school teams did not come because their school had already gotten shut down. On the fourth hole, some of the girls on the other team got an email from the school that they were going to shut down. At that point, I started to get a little worried. By the end of the round, I felt a buzz in my pocket. I knew exactly what it was about, and so did everyone else.
• 2020-12-11

  When I Figured Out That Life Might Not Be Normal Soon

  Before COVID I didn't really like my life. That was mostly due to lack of sleep and the fact that I had been spending way too much time analyzing the social hierarchy of my seventh grade class. I felt alone at that point in February. Now I laugh at that feeling, because I didn't know the true meaning of alone. In early February I had started practicing for the track season and I was acing all of my classes. The closure of everything and the cancellation of sports was made worse by the fact that my high jump coach had told me that could potentially jump 5' 5" this year (that easily qualifies you to go to state championships in high school). Right before Kobe Bryant's death I first heard the word coronavirus. I dismissed it knowing that I never knew anything about current events and that it would pass. The week after the basketball legend died in a helicopter crash, I heard that unfamiliar word again. This time I asked what it was, and nobody could tell me much. All I got out of my friends was that it was a flu-like virus that was tearing through China and soon after that, Italy. My first inkling that this virus was going to be a big deal was when my best friend's mom went to 3 different stores to get 20 bottles of hand sanitizer. Of course it was a joke at that point, but after that the 'jokes' came fast and furious. First, panic over a group of students that went on an art history trip to Italy. Next, one of my classmate's parodies to the song "Break My Stride" based on the coronavirus (he sang it during English class and our teacher seem rather unnerved by it). After that, the first documented cases in the US and the beginning of the toilet paper shortages. Then, a joke about the coronavirus solving the problem of overpopulation in Asia. All of this leading up to a phone call in which my family was informed by a doctor that our school would be closed down within the next two weeks.
• 2020-02-20

  My Life in February before COVID-19

  My name is Athena Errico and I am an 8th grade student at Oaks Christian currently, but at the time I was in seventh grade. It was January-February, I love to ski and I have been skiing my whole life, recently I have been trying to get into racing. I had just heard of the corona outbreak in China and was instantly worried. I had my first compition coming up for skiing and my parents told me I couldnt go because it was Chinese New Year and many people from China go to that specific ski mountain every year to celebrate. A few weeks later at school I had heard about schools in the area shutting down due to corona. Then about a week later I noticed my teachers canceling quizzes and giving very little homework. At lunch many off the kids talked about corona and the group of people who went with a teacher named Mrs. Hacker to Italy over break, there where roomers they all got COVID. Then a girl was not in school and many poeple thought she had COVID. Thats when I new things where going to change. COVID! COVID! COVID! that was all anyone ever talked about. Soon my parents wouldnt let me go to the grocery stores with them and wouldn't let me go to friends houses unless they new the parents well. Then my school shut down and that's when everything got really strange.
• 2020-12-10

  When I realized my life was going to change...

  It is currently February 12, 2020. I am on the plane to go to Italy for 2 weeks on an extraordinary adventure with my friends from Oaks Christian. I land in Paris at first and I see the Eiffel tower as it is my birthday today. I couldn't have imagined my 13th birthday any better than to be in Paris. I have a great week touring all over Italy and I had np idea that my life was going to change forever. As I got to the airport in Italy to go back to California, they took my temperature and I thought it was very strange because they have never done that in the past. The security guard said because a new virus is appearing and they want to be cautious. I was kind of scared but I just looked past it. Then as we were in the airport one of the people in our group started throwing up everywhere and I got really nervous that they might have this new virus. I later realized she was fine but it was still scary. When I landed back into California, they I couldn't go to school for 2 whole weeks because the quarantined me because I was in Italy. I looked on my phone at the news and realized that Italy is surging with coronavirus cases. I ended up not have COVID-19 but it was still a time in my life I will never forget.
• 2020-02-21

  The month before the crazy

  In February I knew nothing about Corona. My older sister Megan went on a mission trip with our school to Molokai Hawaii. My mom and my twin Emily heard about corona and how it was spreading from China to Italy and beyond. We got really scared because Megan was flying home the next day. Thankfully she got home. But after her trip she got sick for 1 week. Then each person in our family got a little something not as bad as Megan though. February was basically normal, sports, school, theater, friends no worries. We knew that this was going to be big when Megan came home sick.
• 2020-02-26

  The Beginning of the End

  It was a regular time of day, at least in my head. Everything was fine, everything was normal. There were hints of something occurring that would not end well, though. I heard some of my friends on campus at Oaks Christian Middle School theorizing on what infected China. I had no clue what they were talking about, until they should me a map of infections for Covid-19. There were a couple hundred cases in China at the time. I figured it was just a jump of a flu. I was dead wrong. Every day, I can see my friends looking at the screen in horror at the numbers jumping up. It went 300, 800, 1500, 2600 every day. I then just forgot about it to save me some un-wanted pressure. A week passes now, and my friends beckon me to take another look at the map. When I looked at that map, it was when I knew Humanity would take a bullet. I look to the top-right of the screen. Total Infected Cases: ~1000000. All of China was red. Italy was starting to bleed of the vile color. Europe was not looking so good either. And then, the worst part. My friend zooms the map to Los Angeles, roughly close to us. Total Infected Cases: ~300. From then on, I knew this was the beginning of the end...
• 
  2020-08-11

  "The Coronavirus Is Bringing Back Florence’s Wine Windows" - Atlas Obscura

  The COVID-19 pandemic, aside from encouraging people to take up new hobbies, has encouraged people to look to the past for methods of dealing with the risks of the pandemic. In an article for Atlas Obscura, journalist Matthew Taub looks at how the people of Florence, Italy, have dealt with the new reality of COVID-19 by using a medieval innovation: wine windows. According to Taub, a wine window, or buchette del vino, is a type of medieval storefront common in Florence that dates back to the 17th century, when the plague commonly ravaged the population of the city. Insteading of risking exposure by entering an osteria, or bar, Florentines eager for wine and merriment were passed wine through a narrow window by metal plate. Shopkeepers would then sanitize the metal plates used to transfer money and products with vinegar. Over 200 wine windows have been tallied, or 1 for every city block. With the arrival of COVID-19, 5-6 restaurants in Florence have reactivated their wine windows to serve wine, as well as coffee and gelato. Aside from providing modern Florentine shoppers with safe access to red wine, these reopened wine windows are also raising awareness about Florence's medieval past and the necessity of preserving antique architecture.
• 
  2020-11-13

  ロックダウンでも「サンタには特別許可証」(2020年11月13日) - "Special permit for Santa" even in lockdown (November 13, 2020)

  新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で各地で外出が制限されるなか、サンタクロースがプレゼントを配れるか不安に思う子どもに対し、イタリアのコンテ首相が「特別な許可証」があると答えました。 　イタリアでは現在、外出制限を伴うロックダウンが導入されています。5歳のトンマーゾくんはコンテ首相に対し、サンタクロースの外出を制限しないよう懇願するメールを送っていました。コンテ首相は12日、フェイスブックで「サンタさんは国際的な特別許可証を持っていて、世界中の子どもたちにプレゼントを配ることができる」と答えました。さらに、「サンタさんはマスクをして適切な距離を保っていると言っていた」と付け加えています。トンマーゾくんがサンタクロースのためにツリーの下に消毒液を置いておくと約束したことには、「素晴らしいアイデア」と応じました。また、コンテ首相はウイルスの撃退だけでなく、他のプレゼントをお願いすることも忘れないよう呼び掛けました。 Italy's Prime Minister Conté replied that he made a "special permit" for children who were worried that Santa Claus would be able to give out presents as the spread of the new coronavirus restricted his outings. In Italy, lockdown with restrictions on going out is currently going on. Five-year-old Tommaso sent an email to Prime Minister Conté begging him not to restrict Santa Claus from going out. "Santa has an international special permit and can give out presents to children around the world," Conte said on Facebook on the 12th. He added, "Santa said he was wearing a mask to keep a proper distance". To keep Tommaso's promise by the disinfectant under the tree for Santa Claus was a "great idea." In addition to fighting off the virus, Prime Minister Conté also called on him to remember to ask for other gifts. Video translated by Youngbin Noh
• 
  2020-11-06

  イタリアとドイツで新規コロナ感染が過去最多（2020年11月6日）- Highest number of new corona infections in Italy and Germany (November 6, 2020)

  イタリアやドイツでは５日、新型コロナウイルスの１日の新たな感染者が過去最多を更新しました。 新型コロナウイルスの感染の第２波がヨーロッパで深刻化しています。 イタリア政府は５日、新型コロナウイルスの感染者が前の日に比べ、３万4,505人増え、累計で82万人を超えたと発表しました。感染拡大を受けて、イタリアでは６日から午後10時以降の外出の原則禁止など、感染拡大防止のための制限が強化されます。 また、ドイツメディアは５日、１日の新たな感染者が２万594人となり、初めて、２万人を超えたと伝えるなど、ヨーロッパで感染の第２波が深刻となっています。 In Italy and Germany, the number of new infections of the new coronavirus in one day reached a record high on the 5th. The second wave of infection with the new coronavirus is becoming more serious in Europe. The Italian government announced on the 5th that the number of people infected with the new coronavirus has increased by 34,505 compared to the previous day, and the cumulative total has exceeded 820,000. In response to the spread of the infection, restrictions to prevent the spread of the infection will be tightened in Italy, such as the principle prohibition of going out after 10 pm from the 6th. In addition, the second wave of infection is becoming more serious in Europe, the German media reporting that the number of newly infected people on the 5th was 20,594, exceeding 20,000 for the first time. Video translated by Youngbin Noh
• 
  2020-03-17

  Corona DJ

  When faced with boredom, you either figure out a way to do something, or you rot away in peril. During the early stages of the pandemic, Italy was one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, the Italians would have to figure out how to do something when faced with the attached boredom. The residents in an unnamed neighborhood would innovate with this boredom in a fanatisic way. One of the residents happened to be a DJ and set up his rig to play to the whole block.
• 
  2020-03-10

  Nurse collapses at desk with mask still on

  A nurse working in a hospital near Milan collapses at her desk for a 5 minute break. The photo was taken by a coworker while they had been working round the clock. This hospital was in the middle of the crisis in Italy, and the healthcare system was overwhelmed.
• 2020

  How I first heard about Covid virus.

  When I landed from Italy back in Los Angeles on Feb. 22,2020. I was greeted with concern and told that my group probably should go into quarantine because of a virus they were then calling Corona. I was confused. I had just had a wonderful 12 day tour of Italy with a group of 30 of my students and their parents. I was able to show them beautiful, historic places and art that they had been studying. We knew when we left for the trip that there was a virus in China but we had no idea that it was spreading through Italy like wildfire while we were there. The only thing that should have tipped us off was when we first arrived and landed in Naples, getting off the plane we had to get our temperature tested. But, that was the last time any of us had any inkling that a virus was spreading dangerously through the streets we were walking. Until we landed back in Los Angeles! I had to check the news and when I did, I saw that we had gotten out of Italy just in time because the country was shutting down. At that point there were no reported cases in the United States but people were fearful that my group brought the virus back with us. We did not. But soon enough, it arrived and began to spread. And that's when my world changed.
• 2020-10-27

  Why didn’t I get infected?

  Hello, I am a 33 yo female living in Belgium. A month ago, after a trip to Venice, my husband got infected with Sars-cov2(we are not sure if he took it there). He had all the symptomps of the infection and he tested positive for it. I was in direct contact with him 24/7 and I never tested positive nor developped any symptom. Moreover, once he had started to feel better, we both did the antibodies blood test. He had the antibodies(7,9 >1.4) and I had nothing(0.009<1.4). I cannot find an explanation for it, nobody talks about it. I found lots of info about asymptomatic people but nothing about people who seem to be immune to it even though never had it. Any help? Thanks, Clara
• 
  2020-07-15

  Making Mafia Stronger

  When most families and business owners were wondering how to pay the bills, for Gaetano Vitagliano the period of lockdown was the perfect time to strike a deal. On raiding cafe's the police found something which seemed suspicious! On investigating it was found that the business was allegedly bought by mafia money, linking to Camorra, an organized crime syndicate in Italy. Read this article by VICE to find out what happened in Naples, Italy where Raffaele Gallo was killed in the streets by Camorra ambush.
• 
  2020-10-08

  Isolation & Madness

  The last time I traveled before the Pandemic shut down the world was November of 2019. I spent 11 days, quite literally wandering around Italy. I went with no plan - other than to visit the Vatican. I spent time in cafes and walking around the city. I made random conversation with locals and tourists alike. I allowed myself to listen to other's experiences to see if it was a venture I would like to experience. It was such an exciting experience. I actually made friends with a photographer who was travelling to Sicily for a nature shoot. She allowed me to tag along. We took a bus and once we got there we explored the small village. We had fresh fudge and freshly ground coffee. While she was at her photo shoot, I walked along the water and explored the remainder of the village which would easily have fit within 3 city blocks in New York City. As I describe that adventure, it has nothing to do with the pandemic and it's completely unlike what we are experiencing now. I was free to wander; something about being out in the open with no general plan is exciting and calming all at the same time. As I reflect on that time, I remember what happened right after. As people got sick, businesses shut down, people were restricted to their homes, I could think of nothing else except for this view from Doge's Palace. Casanova was the most infamous prisoner, especially since he was the only one known to escape. Just imagine what it must have been like. Making this walk over this bridge and this little sliver of light is the last you saw of the outside world. After that walk, it was just stone and candle light. I took this picture on my cell phone and as the course continued this term, I kept thinking about this picture. In a place like Italy, where religion is part of the culture, they were hit so hard by the pandemic. What must it be like there to be restricted to your home and all you can do is look out your window? The idea of only being able to see a small piece of reality while the world around you changes in extreme ways, not knowing what comes next or when it was going to happen. Imagine what went through prisoners minds in the early 1600s as this small image is the last thing they say. Do you think they found solace in a deity or faith? Those who were confined to their homes and were getting sick, what must have gone through their minds? The reason I wanted to submit this picture is because this pandemic really showed us, we are all human. By nature there are things we cannot escape and things that we come to appreciate. When we become restricted and slow down, we begin to appreciate what's around us no matter how big or small. The pandemic restricted me from travelling abroad and I lost a number of friends and family members but I had no restriction on my view of the world. I could still experience nature and explore and appreciate. The pandemic was a humbling experience. This picture is a visual representation of that experience. There's so much out there but only when we cannot explore at our leisure, do we stop to notice and take it in. It's only through isolation that we miss the world around us. Is it the isolation that caused madness or fear? Only being able to see such a small part of such a big world, it could drive anyone mad.
• 
  2020-09-20

  From Ground Zero in Italy

  My immediate family, sister and mother, live in the city of Albino, in the province of Bergamo, the hardest hit area in Italy. The rest of my family lives in Cremona, the second hardest hit area in Italy. My sister contracted the virus at the very beginning of the pandemic, sometime in February 2019. She locked herself up in her room for 6 weeks and eventually recovered. Six months later she still suffers from fatigue and on-and-off muscle pain. Two older relatives died of the virus. One was in a hospital for minor surgery he had postponed for a few months. When he finally decided to get it done, it was right at the beginning of the storm. He was infected and died in a matter of days. The second one was in assisted living. The angel of death glided over the facility and took more than two dozen residents with it. The most painful was the death of a high school friend, a family doctor in Como. He started seeing patients with strange symptoms. With no guidance and no information from the Health Dept, he kept doing his job. When he came down with the infection, the virus load was so high he only lasted a few days. My mother escaped the infection. She lives in the same building as my sister, but they didn't see each other for months. She lived alone like a recluse. Friends or relative would drop off food by her door, she would put out the garbage and that was it. In the meantime she kept hearing stories of people she had known for a lifetime who passed away "they are dropping like flies" she told me one day. She mentioned a famous poem by Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti, a poem he wrote while he was fighting in the trenches of World War I: "We are like leaves on a branch in autumn." I spent hours every day, sometimes several times a day for weeks, trying to console and give her courage. At a certain point I thought she was about to give up. She wasn't eating anymore, she was getting weaker and weaker, half asleep the whole day, awake in terror and sorrow at night. As to my life, it is similar to that of most of you. I live outside NY, my wife, two daughters and I managed with some adjustments in our routines. I avoided social networks like the plague (sorry for the metaphor), stayed away from the news and commentaries, focused on my teaching as much as possible, even took care of the backyard. Over the months, it was discouraging to the point of banging my head on my desk when I was watching Europe slowly getting control over the pandemic, while in the US we were and still are stumbling like blind morons, clueless and bamboozled by borderline criminal propaganda. I am not talking about all, of course. But it is frankly horrifying and terrifying to find out that 1 out of 2 people - more or less - I see in the streets live in a state of willful derangement, posing a danger to themselves (I could care less about them) but most of all to the rest of us.
• 2020-09-17

  Blessing in Disguise

  Everyone knows how hard it can be to look at the good things going on in life, when it feels like you are only surrounded by the bad. And during a pandemic it is even harder find those good things. Along with millions of other people, this is the first thing I have experienced in my lifetime that has actually affected every single human in the entire world. I was supposed to do my junior performance recital in April. I was supposed to go to Italy for classes in May. I was supposed to go to concerts in the summer. Obviously, those losses are not nearly as bad as families that lost their jobs or loved ones, but everyone missed out on something no matter how big. In the beginning it honestly sounded pretty nice. I remember sitting in the living room with my friends looking at how inexpensive flights were and planning out the fun things we were going to do with our free time when schools canceled classes. We definitely did not believe they would be canceled for the rest of the semester and we would be sent home and not allowed to travel. It was really hard to come home and not be around my friends or even allowed to go see people I did not live with. I really did just sit around and sulk for a while. But then I realized how grateful I was to at least have a house to sulk in and have loved ones to sulk with. Being forced to come home from school gave me so much extra time with my family that I never would have gotten if COVID didn’t happen. I got to bake and cook so much with my mom and watch movies with my dad and play games with my brothers. I got to try new things like painting, and I was able to read more, and I definitely got a lot more sleep. I mean don’t get me wrong I would have much rather been traveling or going out with friends and living the life of a college student, but this pandemic really made me realize how blessed I am. Even in the worst of times, there is always something good to focus on if you just try.
• 
  2020-04-18

  A Tutti Voi...Grazie

  this is a photograph of a mural on a hospital wall in Brescia, Italy where it translates to “To you all….Thanks.” It is another piece of art that reminds us that we are all in this together and to thank our healthcare workers. I think as time goes on we tend to get sick of hearing about the pandemic and Covid-19 and go about our daily lives. We as a society often times need reminders and I think art provides that in an appealing and beautiful way. A giant graffiti depicting medical staff holding a figure shaped as a boot representing Italy and reading " To you all… Thanks", is painted on a side of the Brescia hospital, Italy, Monday, March 16, 2020.
• 2020-04-13

  Neighbours washing their car

  In the middle of the lockdown in Italy, things were looking pretty grim. Other than the obvious fear for the outcome of the pandemic people were feeling pretty on edge about police who were (rightfully) being very strict about abiding the laws about quarantine. People weren't aloud to see anyone other than the people they shared a home with and were supposed to stay inside at all times they weren't providing to their basic needs. One day I was looking through my window and I witnessed probably one of the funniest but surreal scenes of my life. A group of my neighbours were in the process of washing their car,there were maybe 8 people there between friends and family and they were very close, getting on top of the car and having fun. All of sudden they hear an helicopter approaching (police used them to spot "fugitives") and straight up jumped off the car and ran home all panicked. I couldn't stop laughing for an hour, it truly was a moment of release in the midst of worry and depression.
• 
  2020-08-06

  Medieval ‘wine windows’ are reopening, reviving Italian plague tradition

  When the bubonic plague or black death went through Europe small windows, just big enough for a glass of wine to be passed through, were used. People in Italy today are using them again in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
• 
  April 11, 2020

  Total Number of Confirmed Deaths in U.S. Surpasses Italy

  This is a news article stating how Coronavirus deaths in the US have reached 20,229, greater than Italy’s death toll which stood at around 19,000. Almost half of the deaths in the US are from New York at around 9,385. As someone who lives down in Long Island, which is where most of these deaths are located, it’s very concerning.
• 
  2020-03-13

  Corona Doesn’t Spare Health Care Professionals

  Two intensive care professionals comfort each other in the halls of an ICU in a hospital in Cremona, Italy.
• 
  2020-02-26

  Italy councilor being laugh at wearing a mask in the meeting. This move was questioned as useless and would exacerbate panic.

  Italy councilor Matteo Remzi being laugh at wearing a mask in the meeting. When it was Renzi’s turn to speak, he argued that he had been to three affected areas and wore a mask for the safety of everyone. “If you are smart, you should wear it early.” said by Matteo, and then he throws the microphone.
• 2020

  From Italy to London to Guatemala

  During the spring of 2020 I was a student in London for a program abroad called the NCH 2020 Global Quest Program, I was part of this program and fell in love with it. Living in London taking the tube every morning as well as participating in different classes was a world class experience for me. Coming from Guatemala having the opportunity of being in London a world class city and learning everything it has was amazing. Over time during the spring break I decided to visit my friends in Florence and Venice Italy as its one fo the places that I have close to my heart. That week in Italy was the same as they had been the moment I lived there a year ago, I would drink coffee in the small bar next to my old apartment and eat my breakfast and in the afternoon I would meet with my friends and have a stroll close to the Arno River as well as walking with my friends near the Piazza san Marco in Venice. The moment I came back from Italy immidialaty i noticed the situation changed where I received an email from the University stating that any student in Italy had to quarantine if they showed symptoms for COVID-19, the first week was perfect for me I had not felt anything the problems occurred when I actually started to feel many symptoms for the virus and was self quarantines in a isolated room for the weekend based on what the NHS had told me. As well luckily only a few days after i felt fine again and the NHS told me that I was able to leave the room with no problem so I did. Two weeks after this incident I was told that I had to leave London sadly the moment president Trump imposed boarder protection from the European Union so that day at 3am I packed and I took a flight to Miami and then to Guatemala. When I landed in Guatemala I was sent home without any problems but still I had to self quarantine at my room for 15 days before I was left out. Currently my country is still closed and I have been in almost 120 days in quarantine by the time of this post. I cant believe that I was still able to go back to Italy and travel to London but this experience has personally changed me in the way I know think of the virus and the way it has affected me in my life.
• 
  2020-03-24

  Filipinos Coping With Covid - Series

  I am doing a series, Filipinos Coping With Covid, published in my blogs and some in Positively Filipino
• 
  2020-03-14

  Quarantined Italians Sing Together from Balconies

  Before the Coronavirus came to the United States, all eyes were on Italy. They had the highest death rate ever and they were all in a very strict quarantine. They were able to release the stress of being cooped up in their small apartments by singing together while standing on their balconies. Some would play violins, accordions, or tambourines, while others sang. They all joined in and it was quite a unique experience, and the videos went viral.
• 
  2020-06-25

  European nations where virus first went mainstream nearly cleared as US cases soar

  Viral tweet today highlights the differences in cases between EU nations which were greatly hit by virus early on and the US. The days case increases of 190 for Italy, 81 for France, and 330 for Spain draw a stark contrast to America's over 33,000 new cases for today. The virus first drew mainstream attention in the west once it left China and started affecting western nations. Italy in particular was an early poster country for the pandemic, but now seems quaint compared the the United States. I included this tweet because it essentially sums up the current status of the virus globally. European nations are almost clear of the virus due to strict pandemic guidelines. Meanwhile the United States has taken the opposite approach and any hope for the pandemic being over soon is officially gone. What struck me about this tweet was remembering the public reaction when Italy was the center point of the virus, and the denial of the US ever getting that bad. Now the story of the pandemic has shifted dramatically.
• 
  2020-02-23

  Reports from an American bunkered down in Lombardy

  I'm an American who moved to Milan in August 2019 for work. When the virus first took root in the Western world very near where I lived, I was better prepared for it because of posts from an internet friend I had in Hong Kong detailing their thoughts and experiences. I was hoping to be that for others back in the United States, while trying to navigate the uncertainty of the early outbreak in Italy myself. The result is this series of posts on my Facebook timeline.
• 
  2020-03-18

  Panic

  The article is published on March 18, when Italy suffers the most from the COVID-19. The article summarize the severity and the uncertainties of that time.
• 
  2020-05-29

  Italian Wife Plays Recorder. Husband Is not Pleased.

  During the Corona outbreak, people in Italy sang in unison from their balconies. However, in this home, the husband was fed up with the noise and the awful recorder playing. So he lashed out. She yelled back at him. This shows how tensions in a marriage were greatly heightened by being forced to spend 24 hours a day with each other, seven days a week.
• 
  2020-05-20

  Our life during Coronavirus pandemic

  A photo journal of a family in Florence Italy during Covid19 pandemic
• 03/27/2020

  Bergamo Italy is Hit Hardest By COVID-19

  Personally, I believe this article needs to be kept in the archival record due to the depth of pain, sadness, and loss of life highlighted in the article. One of my professors, who lived in Bergamo for a few years, keeps me posted with news articles and families’ stories constantly. This New York Times article shows how a copious amount of deaths in the city is published in the local newspapers. There are numerous pages dedicated to the obituaries of loved ones who died from COVID-19 related illnesses. When this article was written in late March, almost 2,000 deaths were reported in the city. This number seems low compared to the number of deaths we have currently in the United States. However, the city has a population of roughly 120,000 people. Compared to Massachusetts today, we have a population of 6.9 million people and a total of 4,000 deaths. Bergamo’s death rate, at the time this article was published, was 1.66%. Massachusetts’s death rate today is .05%. The city of Bergamo is small, but the intensity of COVID-19’s impact on the community is immense. Cities like Bergamo, Italy need to have their stories archived to keep the stories of loved ones, who died, alive.