Former exchange students to Nottingham who are now back in their respective countries shared their views on the current death toll of the pandemic and the impact it has on their personal well-being: “We can feel the pain,” one of them says.
Globally, the number of deaths is increasing.
So far in the UK close to 5,000 people have died from the coronavirus, of which more than 150 of those were reported from the Midlands.
More than 75,900 deaths are reported throughout the world. Italy reported the highest, with over 15,300 deaths.
Audio: Helena Milano, Ventimiglia, Italy
Former Nottingham Trent University linguistic student Helena Milano is from Ventimiglia, Italy, who has been in lockdown for over a month and is devastated about the mortality rate.
Helena finds it hard to concentrate and stay positive but she is grateful for being safely home with her loved ones and her dog. “It‘s very difficult, we are trying to do our best.” For her one outing a day, she takes a walk on the beach to escape the news if only for an hour.
The situation in France is no better than in Italy or Spain is former exchange student to Nottingham University, Ornella Palazzolo’s comments. Everything is shut down and “I just want to wake up when all this is over,” she says.
Her source of information is her cousin who is a nurse at the local hospital who says they are struggling to help everyone and the situation is getting worse by the day, with many dying. “But they do not count the people that are at home and in the centre where there are elderly people.” Ornella admits she is mentally not in a good space.
Audio: Ornella Palazzolo, France
Christian Albiña Palmarola is from Chile, South America. His brother is a medical surgeon and his fiancée a nurse, both frontline key workers.
The three of them live together and when asked about his thoughts on the death rise, Christian says he is automatically at risk and there is nothing he can do about it.
He is a former Nottingham University Masters graduate, working from home due to the lockdown. His biggest frustration is the permit you have to obtain in order to go just about anywhere, and calls it “stupid”.
Santiago has never been this quiet, he claims, and that is affecting him mentally, every time he steps out on the balcony and see nothing but buildings and empty highways.
This is what isolation looks like in Santiago, Chile and Ventimiglia, Italy
Country Cases Deaths Recovered
Chile 4,161 27 528
France 68,605 7,560 14,138
Italy 124,632 15,362 20,996
UK 51,608 5,373 135
COVID-19 is an illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It is caused by a virus called coronavirus. Symptoms are a cough, a high temperature and shortness of breath.
Simple measures like washing your hands often with soap and water can help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading. Isolation and self-quarantine slow down the spread too and can save lives.
