Italy.
No country has been hit harder by this virus.
The bad news there has been unrelenting, day after day, week after week. It almost seemed as if it would never end.
But alas, there is a glimmer of hope.
I’ve been tracking the number of new COVID-19 cases in Italy, and over the past week we’ve seen a remarkable change in trend.
The number of new cases has not only stopped increasing, but is actually starting to move down.
The peak number of daily cases in Italy (6,557) was registered more than two weeks ago (March 21), and the average number of new cases over the last week (4,466) is the lowest 7-day average since March 14-20.
The trend in Italy may be a leading indicator for us all.
Austria, Switzerland, and Germany are showing signs of improvement as well…
And in Spain, which has had one of the worst outbreaks, new cases are starting to flatten out.
To be sure, the fight is not over, but there are finally some signs pointing to better days ahead.
In thinking of Italy and praying for the positive trend to continue, a wonderful film comes to mind: “Life is Beautiful.”
In the movie, Guido (the Jewish Italian protagonist, played by Roberto Benigni) uses humor and love to persevere in the most trying of situations (he and his family are sent to a concentration camp).
These are the worst of times for many among us, but we need to try to do the same…
- Cherish this extended time with your family that we may never have again.
- Be a source of calmness and stability for our children and loved ones.
- Find a way to laugh and be grateful for all that we have.
- Help those in need and protect those that are most vulnerable.
- Reach out to the lonely and isolated, for it means more than we think.
- Give thanks to those on the front lines, risking their lives in service to others.
Life is indeed beautiful, and we should never forget that no matter how difficult today seems.
