As the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads in America, many experts and civilians are looking to Italy as possible glimpse of what our future might hold. That country is currently on lockdown with residents only allowed to leave their homes for absolutely necessary reasons in an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19.
As of Monday, March 16, the total number of coronavirus cases in Italy was 27,980, up 3,000 from just the day before. Some experts believe Italy is about 10 days ahead of the United States in this ever-evolving situation, which is one of the reasons many states and cities are restricting movement by citizens and closing schools, restaurants, and bars.
In a new video released by the CDC, Italian residents of all ages were asked to film messages to themselves from 10 days ago. What would they told their past selves about the virus’s spread, the ways that life would so drastically change, and what they could have done differently had they known what today would look like?
Their messages are sobering, to say the least, as Italians describe their transitions from normal daily life to quarantine and warn others about not taking the pandemic seriously by continuing to go out just for fun.
Take a look:
“A huge mess is about to happen.”
“The worst case scenario? That’s exactly what will happen.”
“A whole nation stuck at home. Didn’t see that coming, uh?”
“There are currently kids our age intubated and in intensive care.”
“We’ve seen worrisome videos from France and the U.S. of people not taking this thing seriously. This issue is more serious than most of the world believes.”
“You’ll realize that just being able to breathe air in your own house—it’s something you should already be grateful for.”
Watch the full video for yourself below:
As this crisis in America continues to evolve and shift, it’s important to listen to guidance of the scientists and doctors who are telling us to stay home as much as is possible. And perhaps take a cue from Italians, too, who know better than us what’s coming next.
