Dear all,
Yesterday we noted a number of people who went out in groups, compromising the sacrifices made by so many of us, who have understood the necessity of the current restrictions. I wanted to clarify what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t.
Acceptable:
-Families living in the same household may go for drives or walks in the countryside as long as they don’t mingle with others
-Bikers can ride but not stop to chat in groups
-Anyone can walk their dogs as long as they keep an acceptable distance from anyone else
– If you meet anyone in the road make sure to keep a good distance from each other
Not acceptable:
-Meeting friends or people you don’t live with
-Different families or households spending time together
-Sharing a car with friends
-Bikers who gather to chat
Once again a reminder that it is not advisable to visit grandparents. Contact them regularly and if practical, provide them with a mobile, tablet or laptop and contact them via Skype, Whatsapp or Facetime so that they can still see their children and grandchildren.
If you have to work, ensure that you keep a safe distance from other members of staff and from the customers, wash your hands regularly and don’t touch your face. Clean surfaces with disinfectant.
If you go out to buy, keep it as brief as possible, avoid crowds, keep a safe distance from the next person and use alcohol handrub. Ensure you wash your hands especially after touching potentially contaminated objects like keypads or petrol pumps.
When you get back home, leave your shoes at the door or in the garage and wash your hands with soap and water. Wipe down purchased goods brought into the house.
The data is now showing, that unfortunately a large number of positive cases will have no symptoms for 1 to 2 days and can unknowingly infect others during that time. So, the person next to you who appears healthy, may actually be infective. If a youth or young adult meets a group of friends, they may carry the virus home and be responsible for making the rest of their family sick without realising.
This is why so many of us healthcare workers are leaving our families and our homes during this challenging time. It is painful but necessary because we are trying to protect them.
The death toll in Italy is staggering, now exceeding 4000. Half the patients in ITU don’t survive and a number wont even make it to ITU because of bed space limitations. The mortality above 65 is significant, but there are still some serious cases in the young.
To all those who are still disregarding the advice given by the health department, your irresponsible behaviour may endanger others, including those you love. I can understand that, especially for young people, this is a lot to ask, but we all have to do our part. This is truly a time when the actions of every single person will affect the outcome for all. It is a time to make sacrifices to protect our loved ones and the most vulnerable among us.
If every single one of us does our part, by God’s grace, we hope to contain it. Please don’t let us down.
Dr Konrad Borg
Consultant at MDH
