Kaitlyn Rabe ’19 currently lives in Italy, which has the highest coronavirus fatality rate in the world. She wrote a column for The Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures, sharing her feelings and experiences leading up to the outbreak in Italy to the current nationwide lockdown.

“It’s just a flu! It’s not a big deal, just calm down.”

How many of us have said this in response to the current emergency? The CORONAVIRUS grips us, confuses us, convinces us one day that it’s a danger, the next day that it’s a light virus, pits the panic-buyers against the rebellious event-goers, each group scoffing at the other until we are caught, having done nothing but argue over a virus that has taken only three or four days to double its number of active cases.

To be completely honest, I certainly lost my mind screeching “IT’S JUST A FLU!” to the worrywarts… up until about 10 days ago, the famed “day when I realized it wasn’t just about me.” And the trajectory of the public reaction I am seeing in countries around the world is eerily familiar.

Oh, by the way, I live in Lombardy, Italy. One of the areas of the world hit hardest by the virus’ arrival, and what I hope could be an example for other Western countries. What follows is the story of how the CORONAVIRUS — an invisible force which may not even have any effects on my health — has changed the trajectory of my life, hopefully toward my roots in Old Columbus Town. 

Backtrack to Jan. 26. I’m lying in bed, scrolling through Facebook after a day of work, when I see the headline, “KOBE BRYANT DEAD IN HELICOPTER CRASH.” (Bear with me here.) My blood freezes. After a moment of absorbing what I just read, I turn to my roommate who beats me by saying, “Wow, this coronavirus situation is getting out of hand. Let’s hope it doesn’t make its way over here.”

Enter the story of the CORONAVIRUS into my life. On Jan. 26, I really could not care less about this virus. You remember the swine flu? I had the swine flu. The potential side effects of this new force seemed pathetic in comparison to the four days I spent in a semi-vegetative state on my parents’ couch. And, seeing as I work for a public health organization in Zanzibar, this thing pales in comparison to the havoc wreaked by neglected tropical diseases. If I got the CORONAVIRUS, well, that’s the way it was going to be. And besides, Kobe Bryant had just departed this dear earth. What did I care about the stupid little CORONAVIRUS?

How many weeks did we all go about thinking like this? My family, back in Columbus, was unconcerned (including my father, who is a radiologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital). If they weren’t freaking out, I certainly wasn’t going to freak out. Even as the first cases were found an hour from my home, in a small town between the cities of Milan and Lodi, I said to myself, “It’s just 10 cases in a region of 10 million people… Just 50 cases… Just 200 cases… Just 500 cases over a few regions and they’re taking precautions…” And so on, until February became March, and the first areas were quarantined.

But me, I felt fine. I’m 25 years old, work out 6 times a week, and barely catch colds. I had survived the entire winter without so much as a sniffle. So, it wasn’t my problem, right?

And what happened when the first areas were quarantined? Well, exactly what’s happening now in the U.S. Schools were closed throughout the region. Museums and nightclubs shut down. Events were cancelled. The general population lost its collective mind, escaping the region, emptying supermarket shelves and pharmacies which, selfish as it is, is also counter-productive to stemming the flow of the virus as such behavior packs public transport and supermarkets with people, allowing the virus to have a free-for-all in choosing its new hosts. 

In the first week of March, stories about ICU’s bursting at the seams appeared. People were encouraged to stay at home, but mainly this directive was ignored, especially by young people, because, after all, “It’s just a flu. It’s not our problem.” 

March 7 was a spectacular day. Restaurants had opened their outside spaces for lunch. The sun had decided to gift Milan its first warm day of the year, and, I thought to myself, “Maybe things are starting to go back to normal.”

At 9 p.m. later that day, the decree to quarantine all of Lombardy was announced. Twenty-four hours later, all of Italy was put under an intense lockdown. The international media likes to mock Italian inefficiency (as do Italians themselves), but never have I seen such organization in any country.

More than a week later, all businesses are still closed besides several “primary needs” businesses such as pharmacies and supermarkets. Patrols are everywhere, checking that you have the legally binding document stating that the purpose of your movement is urgent. Every news channel, every newspaper, every online media source tells us the same story: “Our healthcare system is suffering. Please, stay home, not for you, not for your neighbor, but so we can better serve those who are already here.”

March 7 was the day I found out that it’s not about me. All of this — this small sacrifice I am making by confining myself to my home for the next three weeks — is about the greater good. Patriotism in Italy has skyrocketed as the people work to make this small sacrifice for the good of others. Songs are being played from balconies to boost morale. And little children, largely unaffected by the virus itself, are painting signs with rainbows that say underneath, “Andra tutto bene.” (Everything will be ok.)

Because this isn’t about you. It isn’t about me. Ironically, it isn’t even about the people around you. It’s about helping the entire system. Stay home, wash your hands, maintain your distance, and take it seriously without panicking. Because it is NOT just a flu. It is a force that will push countries to take measures that will make them or break them. We can choose to be broken by it (through minimizing AND panic-shopping), or we can choose to be united by it. 

Oh, and to return to that part about wanting to return to Old Columbus Town?

After three years of observing the functions of governments around the world in person, as well as watching my nation of the United States from afar, I’ve come to the realization that the well-being and the development of a people are shaped by government policy. Above all, this month of quarantine, in which governments have moved more swiftly and effectively than I have ever seen them do, has convinced me that I wanna go back, I gotta go back to Ohio… to study for a PhD in Public Policy and Management with the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, where I am convinced I can apply this experience to mold this planet into a bit nicer of a place to live.

Take care of yourselves and each other, stay safe, and Go Bucks.