A CHILLING WARNING ABOUT SOME OF THE EXTREME CONSEQUENCES OF THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS

By Jacquelyn Brown | Tuesday, March 17, 2020

While there is no shortage of expert and other opinion on the coronavirus for all Australians to consider at this difficult time, actual personal accounts of those living with some of the worst consequences of the effect of coronavirus on ‘normal’ life have been few and far between. Jacquelyn Brown, a former jockey in South East Queensland who has been living in Italy for a number of years, recently posted a passionate, very intense plea on Facebook in which she asked Australia to ‘listen up.’ Whether you ultimately agree with her sentiments or not, because they come from a profoundly personal experience and not a general perspective, they do have a very real value in terms of contributing to the general public’s education on the subject. That is why HRO has seen fit to reproduce that post here with Jacquelyn’s permission. It is a must read!

AUSTRALIA LISTEN UP!!!

As most of you know, I live in Italy. Sicily to be precise.

We have been in partial lockdown in Sicily since Thursday 5 March and total lockdown in Sicily since Thursday 12 March.

This means that everything is closed only Supermarkets and pharmacies remain open. Public gatherings are prohibited and we are only allowed to leave the house to buy groceries or medicine.

You may also leave the house for work purposes if you are not able to work from home. Only one person per household can leave the house at any one time. The supermarkets only allow a limited number of people inside at any one time causing lines at the entrance and people must (by law) stay a minimum of one metre's distance apart. If you leave the house you must have a document stating your reason for leaving.

Australians need to begin to prepare because this virus is real and it is coming like a wave. The problem isn't so much the virus itself, it's the fact that we need above all to protect the people most at risk:

*Older adults
People who have serious chronic medical conditions like:
*Heart disease
*Diabetes
*Lung disease

Obviously, I am not a doctor but I understand that those at high risk who become infected eventually need to go to hospital with the beginnings of pneumonia. They subsequently need to be put on a ventilator in order to breathe and therefore survive. What happens when a wave of serious cases floods a hospital like a tidal wave?

Just look at the north of Italy in the Lombardy region where it has become a triage situation. Doctors and nurses are forced to decide who is likely to survive (ie. who is the strongest) and who they will be forced to leave to die because there simply aren't enough ventilators for every infected, and dying, person.

Then, when the government began to enforce quarantine restrictions, people began to flee the Lombardy region moving south to their home towns and cities bringing the virus with them. Now the entire country is on lockdown.

Down here in Sicily we are 2 if not 3 weeks behind the peak numbers of infected people we are now seeing in the Lombardy region. Australia is 2 or 3 weeks behind us here in Sicily.

I feel like Australians haven't been given enough information through the media outlets. Australians need to act now and be prepared for the coming weeks. I cannot urge each and every one of you enough to do the following:

1. If you have a loved one who is at high risk, STAY AWAY from them. Urge them to stay inside the home. Bring them food and supplies and leave it at the door. Don't even enter their house if you can avoid it. They are the ones who need the most protection from this virus. If you do live with a high risk person, then minimise your contact as much as possible. Minimise your need to leave the home as much as possible. Do not let others enter your home and do not enter the homes of others
.
2. Be prepared. Stock your home with the necessities- food and medicine etc. to minimise your need for exiting the house.

3. STAY HOME. Please stay home as much as you possibly can. If you think that this is not a serious statement, then by all means have a look at what is happening at the Lombardy region in Italy where people didn't take this quarantine lockdown seriously and now when their loved ones die, they are not even able to hold a funeral for them.

4. If you must exit, try to keep your distance from others- at least one metre. When you return home, wash your clothes immediately. Wash your hands and try to disinfect yourself as much as possible. If you are at work, disinfect your work surface regularly and wash your hands as many times as possible. Wear surgical masks where and when you can.

Covid-19 is spreading through our human networks, through our countries, cities and towns. It is spreading through our families! One single person's actions and behaviour can cause a ripple effect that can touch far away people and ultimately become the death sentence for someone who, otherwise, could have survived.

Social distancing is the only way to slow the spread of this virus and ultimately prevent the tidal wave of serious cases from swamping Australian hospitals. Do not let the people you love and care for become the ones who cannot be saved. Begin acting now before the government even begins to put quarantine measurements into place. I cannot stress how important it is to RESPECT THE QUARANTINE LIMITATIONS.

People here did not respect the measurements put into place early by the government and look at our situation now. We will be stuck inside our homes at least until April however my prediction is that restrictions will last even further.

I saw on social media over the weekend Australian people out at clubs, barbecuing with groups of friends and I honestly can't believe my eyes. This is not only arrogant and irresponsible, it is also extremely dangerous.

You need to aggressively get ahead of the curve as soon as possible to minimise the spread.

Australians, Be prepared. Act now. Act sensibly. Above all, do not panic. We have a responsibility to to our fellow humans, in this case those at high risk, to keep them safe. Do your part for the safety of your family and friends and FOR GOD'S SAKE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!

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