Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth
Back when I went to Business School one of our classic reads was Intel founder Andy Grove’s “Only the Paranoid Survive”. It’s a book about how, in business you need to keep looking over your shoulder to make sure you are prepared for market disruption. I feel like this is exactly what we need to be doing right now with Coronavirus. Every moment a new surprise is lurking around the corner. Italian press has started to report that Lombardy is requesting even more severe restrictions. These call for public transport closing and only supermarkets and pharmacies remaining open. (Offices, stores and bars that were still open would be closed). We are currently waiting to hear if this will happen. A new decreto is brewing, can’t wait to see the hashtag.
It seems we are really going the way of Wuhan. Incidentally, is it a mere coincidence that China has come to Italy’s rescue with 1000 ventilators, 100,000 face masks, and 50,000 Coronavirus test kits? They say you should never look a Gift horse in the mouth, though I don’t think these supplies are a donation, but you know what I mean. The virus comes from China, China defeats the virus, China helps others combat the virus…It gives plenty of room for speculation, or is it paranoia?
If it’s a good time to be slightly paranoid, let’s extend that attitude to double-guessing news. Always double check what you hear, people. Fake news is out there. There has been a lot of hysteria here about hospitals being so full that they have been turning away patients and age discriminating. The director of a major hospital in Milan (Niguarda) had to come out and make a statement to dispel those rumours. The medical system is under enough strain here, let’s not make it worse by irresponsibly spreading misinformation.
A frivolous suggestion for those of you who are bored at home during this “house arrest”. It’s a great time to attend to your neglected skincare routine and break out all those sheet masks you bought but never used. You may not be able to get your fillers done for the next month, but you can certainly go crazy on hydration! Next up, finally learning to give yourself a French manicure. Remember, always find the silver lining!
PS: For those of you who have been reading since the beginning, and doubted my theories about testing, listen to today’s New York Times The Daily podcast.