VATICAN CITY (RNS) — One week into quarantine, one might think that a certain loneliness and desperation would set in among Italians and — based solely on the numbers — that would make sense.
More than 2,150 people have already died. The pressure put on the hospitals has increased the mortality rate of the virus from 2% to 9%.
Despite the strict measures enacted by the Italian government, the country had its deadliest day on Sunday, with 368 deaths due to the coronavirus. That number has added to the fear in the hearts of many Italians who hoped that their quarantined isolation would already yield results.
The few times I left my home to go to the supermarket, I found a deserted city. Every store is closed, and the traffic lights blink without a purpose.
A sort of eerie silence is the only thing that fills the sidewalks, the grocery aisles and parks.
For a country that loves to kiss (both cheeks!), seeing people dodge each other at the supermarket to maintain the 3-foot safety distancing is a painful reminder of how much this pandemic has changed the face of Italy.
The modern forms of entertainment in our technological homes are not enough to satisfy our need to be with others. Walled up in our apartments, unable to embrace our loved ones or enjoy the simple pleasure of fresh air, one might think that restlessness, anxiety and depression would sink in.
One would be wrong.
While those…
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