“These are the four hundred most important public health words I’ve ever written in my life.” The virologist Ilaria Capua affirms this with emotion, holding in her hands “I know you mask” (Edition “La Coccinella”), her latest and colorful book created to explain to children how to deal with the virus. “Even if given the increasing infections, perhaps adults should also read it.”
Over 5,700 new cases yesterday in Italy. What do you think is the cause?
“I’m not in Italy and I don’t have a direct look at people’s behavior. Mobility has certainly increased in recent weeks, people have started traveling again, many activities have restarted. And, at the same time, there was also a decrease in attention: mask, spacing and hygiene are basic to reduce infections. If they fail, the numbers grow. It is inevitable”.
Did the reopening of schools contribute to the spread of the virus?
«It seems reductive – and also dangerous – to point the finger at the school. The school, like other areas, leads people to move, to have relationships: but it would be enough to follow the rules given to limit the risks. I would not make our students feel guilty for the misconduct of others. ”
Do you think the mask should be kept in class?
“Yes, I believe that right now the best thing would be to keep it always, in class as well as in the office. Sometimes not wanting to wear it seems like a whim: there are all models on the market. There are drier, oilier skins, longer noses: everyone has to choose the mask that feels most comfortable. A matter of habit, then you don’t even remember you have it. In a few years it will be just a memory: this is the story of viral infections ».
You stay home from school with a fever. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Why did you choose to speak directly to the children?
“I wanted to give back a vulnerability to children. Because we have all been projected on the elderly, on work, on daily fears. And the children were somewhat left aside in involvement and explanations. It was as if the parents had no answers. And it was true: we too had very few. Children can become accomplices: a mother who sends her child to school with a fever can be the child himself, if made aware, to say: “Mom, I shouldn’t go out …”. I tried, before winter, to trigger virtuous behavior, which is the only barrier against the virus ».
What is the secret to making the very little ones understand the coronavirus?
«Fantasy and storytelling are the tools to be heard. What he tried to do was put the problem into context, put it inside a box. To normalize it and give it the right outline. Explain the concept of invisibility: for a child something so small and so hidden is difficult to understand. It must be said that the great protagonist is not the virus, but the droplet on which it travels: so you can look the monster in the face, because it is no longer a monster, and putting on the imposition mask becomes a natural, instinctive and understood gesture ».
Why do you consider these 400 words the most important of your career?
“Because it is a courageous attempt to do public health, starting with the little ones. And public health is a value: if you are healthy, you are free ».
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