AMID the debate about continuing social distancing or re-opening the United States for business
Amid the President of the United States Donald Trump undermining the advice of scientists and health officials on when will be the safe time to relax social distancing and stay-at-home safety measures;
Amid the confusion brought about by the warning of the Food and Drug Administration against two prescriptions by the President of the United States Donald Trump: the ‘injection’ of disinfectant like Lysol into your veins to beat coronavirus and ‘clean’ the lungs; and the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to treat COVID-19 outside a hospital or formal clinical trial, citing reports of “serious heart rhythm problems,”
Amid Trump’s using the taxpayer-funded daily Coronavirus briefing to spread dangerous misinformation, attack Democrats, demonize the free press, rewrite history to cover up his failure to act on warnings from the U.S. intelligence agencies about the danger of the pandemic as early as January because his focus was his re-election;
The world continues to lose lives in the war against the coronavirus pandemic.
As of press time on Friday, April 24, more than 2.79 million people around the world have been infected by COVID-19, killing more than 196,000 since January.
Here in the United States, there have been more than 922,000 cases, with a death toll of 52,202 and counting.
In the Philippines, more than 7,192 cases, killing more than 477 people, many of whom are doctors and nurses.
Beyond the statistics of infected cases and death toll are real people who died alone without their loved ones to say goodbye to and the deep grief among those bereaved.
Beyond the numbers are dreams that would never come true, and the abrupt ending of a great generation in many family histories.
We mourn with all the nations of the world who not only lost their jobs or got furloughed, but worse — those who succumbed to COVID-19, including our front-liners in the health care industry and first responders who paid their ultimate sacrifice, their lives.
We mourn with Italy, one of the first hotspots in the war.
Allow me to share with you this note about the depth and breadth of Italy’s grief, shared with me by our dear friends from San Gimignano in Tuscany, the Montagnani family, especially Barbara Montagnani. Their grief speaks profoundly about our own grief during this most difficult time.
“They leave. Mesti, silent, how maybe their life has been humble and quiet, made of work, of sacrifices. A generation leaves, the one who saw the war, smelled it and deprivation, between fleeing to an anti-air shelter and the longing search for something to feed. Hands leave hardened by calluses, faces marked by deep wrinkles, memories of days spent under the scorching sun or stinging cold. Hands that moved rubble, kneaded concrete, iron folded, in vest and newspaper hat. Lambretta, Fiat 500 or 600, first refrigerators, black and white television are leaving. They leave us, wrapped in a sheet, like Christ in the shroud, those of the economic boom that with sweat rebuilt this nation of ours, giving us that well-being we have taken advantage of impunity. Experience, understanding, patience, resilience, respect, qualities now forgotten. They leave without a caress, without anyone shaking their hand, without even a last kiss. Grandparents leave, historical memory of our country, heritage of all humanity. The whole Italy must say THANK YOU and accompany you on this last trip with 60 million caresses…”
RECEIVED BY DR. Begher, S Hospital Pneumologist. Mauritius. Asking me to disclose it… help me!”
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Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at [email protected], or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
