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Please note: This article contains some content that our readers may find distressing. Share on Pinterest Design by Medical News Today; photograph courtesy Paolo Fu

On March 10th, when I returned from a holiday in Trentino, I developed a fever. It was not very high, about 100.04F, and, following the guidelines of the Ministry, I reported myself to the toll-free number set up by the region and requested a swab to check if I had contracted COVID-19.

I didnt receive the test because I have not been in a red zone, and I was not certain that I had been in close contact with people who had tested positive for the virus.

Over the phone, they told me to check my temperature and symptoms, but that I shouldnt warn the people I had been in contact with, in case I caused them panic. I was told I could do this later if the symptoms became worse.

The next day in Italy, the lockdown started. Offices and shops were forced to close, and nobody could leave the house without a valid reason and self-certification; any kind of meeting was forbidden, and proximity to elderly people was not recommended.

The virus hit hard. There were thousands dead in the north, and the epidemic seemed to be out of control. Streets were deserted and people left the supermarkets empty. It really seemed like war, and for many older people, this situation evoked terrible memories.

In a short time, the symptoms disappeared, but psychologically, I suffered a lot from the condition as I was unable to go out, see my friends, or visit my parents.

I had to reorganize my whole life, the way I work, and the way I relate with others. I was also unsure that I would still have a job at the end of lockdown, and this scared me a lot. Everything was changing so quickly, and all my certainties were wavering. Chasing a diagnosis

Around March 20th, my father sickened. He had a fever and was in a state of confusion. My mother, who is visually impaired and very dependent on him, was suffering from panic.

Until that moment, I had never visited them because I knew they were at high risk due to their age, but since I could not leave them alone with my father in such conditions, I was forced to go there. My wife and my son came with me.

I called the reporting number again to urgently request the swab for my father, but they refused it. I didnt know what to do, the virus had blocked the country, and anything, even the most trivial task, was now complicated.

With great difficulty, I found a doctor who came to the house. My father had bronchitis, and he was prescribed with antibiotics. He felt very tired and didnt want to eat. For all of us, the situation was so hard.

Finally, the fever stopped, and my father got better for a day, even though he continued to feel very tired.

On March 24th, he woke up with very strong pain in his lower abdomen. We thought that it was an intestinal blockage, and we called the doctor again, but it was useless. The pain didnt decrease.

I spent the night with him, massaging his back and belly, hoping to relieve his suffering. I had to make a decision, the fear of taking him to the hospital was so big given the situation, but at home, I wouldnt know how to handle it.

On the morning of March 25th, I took him to the emergency room. Thats the last time I saw him.

They called us from the hospital saying that CT scans showed an intestinal perforation and interstitial pneumonia from COVID-19 and that the situation was very serious.

The following days were a nightmare. The lockdown didnt allow us to visit him, and, moreover, having been in contact with him, we were in compulsory quarantine. From that moment on, we could no longer go out even to shop or throw out the garbage.

These were very difficult days.

On the one hand, the concern for my fathers health and the frustration of not being able to visit or hear him; on the other, the fear for the health of my family.

Given the real possibility of being infected, I tried again to get the swab, but since we were asymptomatic, they denied it to us that time too.

I was afraid, and I didnt know what to expect. This virus can remain silent for days and then suddenly burst. I was afraid for my loved ones and myself.

I took immunosuppressants for autoimmune disease, and this could make things worse. My mother is 82 years old, and we were both at high risk. I didnt understand why they wouldnt swab us.

I tried to filter some bad news arriving from the hospital about my fathers health with my mother, for her not to be worried too much, but at the same time, I didnt want to create false illusions. Seeing her suffer made me sick.

The only lights were my wife, who had been very close to me, and my son, who filled the house with joy and happiness.

March 28th was my sons birthday, he had waited so long for it, and he would have liked to do it at the zoo with his friends, but we found ourselves locked in the house with the terror that my father would die that very day.

It was a hectic time, but in the end, we managed to organize a live party with his friends via Zoom and ordered him presents online. For a moment, we forgot everything and dedicated ourselves to him. Mourning in quarantine

Another 9 days passed by, and there were only 2 days left until the end of our quarantine.

I wanted to go out, as I felt like I couldnt take it anymore, but I needed to get my immunosuppressant shot. If I was positive it could cost me my life, I was afraid and tried again to request the swab. In the end, I got it, but only for me and my mother.

In the meantime, my father got worse, and on April 7th at 1:30 a.m., I received a call from the hospital saying that, unfortunately, he had passed away. The world collapsed on me.

I didnt know what to do anymore. My point of reference was gone. I felt lost, desperate, and, as if that wasnt enough, I was the one who had to communicate it to my mother and my brother.

That morning was endless. We were stuck at home, we had just suffered a very serious mourning, and I was forced to solve all the bureaucratic things, as soon as possible, because the hospital couldnt keep the corpse of a COVID-19 patient for long.

I called my brother, and we tried to figure out what to do since the rules imposed by the Ministry at the funeral establish that only three people can attend. Furthermore, there was no possibility to respect the Jewish religious rite.

My mother and I were still in quarantine, and we couldnt attend the funeral. At that moment, the only person who was able to go was my brother, my cousin, and a friend who accompanied him. My mother and my family attended the funeral via Zoom.

The situation was really surreal, and I felt like I was living in a nightmare. By the way, on the day of the funeral, they were supposed to come home to swab us, and I was terrified that they could arrive during the service. Thankfully, they arrived later.

They showed up at our house with an ambulance and started preparing themselves. They put two overalls on top of each other, shoe covers, two pairs of gloves, hoods, visors, and masks, and headed towards our apartment before the incredulous eyes of neighbors from other condominiums.

They rang the door and told us to go out to the ground floor, against all privacy, to swab us. We felt dirty.

In the meantime, the quarantine was over, but we had to wait for the results of the swab to come out in 3 days time. I was positive, and my mom was negative.

At that point, they had to come and swab my wife and son. I got another one for my mother too. She was positive at that time, too, while the rest of the family was negative, so we decided, for their own safety, to send them to another place to pass the quarantine.

It was a difficult decision because, without my wife and son, the house is empty and silent. Everything has changed

I am tired and stressed. More than the virus, what really kills me is this forced confinement and the lack of affection from my loved ones and friends.

One evening, maybe because of stress, I was struck by colic. The pain was very strong, and my mother was in panic.

I wanted to call an amulance but, being positive, they would take me to a COVID center, and my mother would stay alone, and I didnt feel like it.

Luckily, I was able to calm the pain, but the idea of not being able to get sick, not being able to call a doctor, and not being able to go to the pharmacy because Im positive is very distressing; its like being in a science fiction movie.

In order to be considered not contagious anymore, one must have two consecutive negative swabs.

On May 3rd, I made my first negative swab. Unfortunately, the second one on May 5th was positive again, and I had to stay at home for another 15 days.

In the end, on May 20th, after two negatives swabs, I was finally free! The quarantine was over, and I could go out again! It was a really strange feeling, and I felt like I was free after a long period in jail.

Now, Im back to normal life again, although nothing is normal anymore.

The schools are still closed, and the kids miss their friends. They have difficulties in adapting to this new situation. The shops and the restaurant are often empty, and the people look to each other in a different way.

This experience has marked me a lot, and I miss the little things I did every day.

We believe we live in a society ready for anything, but a virus was enough to bring a country to its knees and deprive people of the most important things they have: the love of their loved ones, freedom, and physical contact with the people they love.

After the arrival of the virus, everything has changed, and I really dont know if we can go back to normal, to the world we used to know.

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Judge ties Berra on Yankees’ career HRs list

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Judge ties Berra on Yankees' career HRs list

CHICAGO — When Aaron Judge returned to the dugout after his first-inning homer, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone yelled “Yogi!” in the direction of his star slugger.

Yogi indeed.

Judge moved into a tie with Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra for fifth in franchise history when hitting his 358th career homer during Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

“Not getting [the win] kind of stings,” Judge said, “but you know, get a chance to tie one of the greatest if not the greatest Yankee in homers is, it’s pretty special. The way Yogi played the game, what he meant to these pinstripes, you knew how much it meant being a New York Yankee to him. I feel the same way.

“I’m honored to wear this jersey, so it’s pretty cool to be on that list with him.”

Judge drove an 0-2 cutter from Martin Perez deep to center for a one-out solo shot. Judge’s 43rd homer of the season had a 112.6 mph exit velocity and traveled 426 feet.

He made a bid for another homer in the third, but his drive went off the wall in center for a double. He also singled in the fifth and popped out for the final out of the seventh.

Batting with a runner aboard and one out in the ninth, he flied to center.

“Just missed the last one,” Boone said. “I thought he made the right move on the pitch. Looked like he got a hanger there that I thought he put a great swing on. He got under it a little bit and hit it straight up in the air. So those things happen.”

Judge, 33, also connected for a solo homer in New York’s 11-inning victory at Chicago on Saturday night. The two-time American League MVP and seven-time All-Star batted .241 (20-for-83) with 6 homers, 12 RBIs and a .417 on-base percentage in 24 games in August.

Next up for Judge and the Yankees is four consecutive series against playoff contenders, beginning with the opener of a three-game set at Houston on Tuesday night.

“That’s what we want,” said Judge, who signed a $360 million, nine-year contract with New York in December 2022. “It’s coming down to the wire. We want to play the best teams and especially getting down the stretch here into the postseason, this is what it’s all about.”

Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (659 homers), Mickey Mantle (536), Lou Gehrig (493) and Joe DiMaggio (361) are on top of the Yankees’ career home runs list. Judge’s drive produced the first change in the franchise’s top five since Mantle hit his 203rd career homer Aug. 7, 1957, snapping a tie with Bill Dickey.

Judge was selected by New York in the first round of the 2013 amateur draft and made his debut with the Yankees in 2016. Berra was 90 when he died in 2015.

“Didn’t get to see him too much. He was definitely around over at big league camp,” Judge said. “But he was a special individual. A lot of the veteran guys talk highly of him. It was probably some of their favorite memories, you know, coming to spring training was having a chance to talk with him during camp, just hear some of his stories.”

Judge was activated from the 10-day injured list Aug. 5 after being sidelined by a flexor strain in his right elbow. He has been serving as the team’s designated hitter, but he could return to the outfield at some point this season.

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Phillies sign veteran RHP Buehler to minors deal

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Phillies sign veteran RHP Buehler to minors deal

The Philadelphia Phillies signed veteran right-hander Walker Buehler to a minor league contract, the team announced on Sunday.

Buehler was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley by Philadelphia. The Phillies plan to use Buehler, who will be eligible to pitch in the postseason, in their starting rotation, a source told ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Buehler, who got the final out in the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ World Series victory last season and was expected to be a key member of the Boston rotation this year, was released on Friday after the Red Sox concluded he couldn’t help their playoff push from the bullpen.

Buehler, 31, has struggled since signing a $21.05 million contract with Boston, going 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA. He made 22 starts before he was demoted to the bullpen last week; in his only relief appearance since earning a save in Game 5 of the Series, he allowed two runs in 2⅓ innings in a loss to the New York Yankees.

A two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Buehler is 54-29 in 144 starts over eight major league seasons. He struggled last year coming off a second Tommy John surgery but pitched a perfect ninth in the Series clincher two days after pitching five shutout innings as the starter in Game 3.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Red Sox, Chapman agree on $13.3M deal for ’26

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Red Sox, Chapman agree on .3M deal for '26

BOSTON — All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman and the Boston Red Sox finalized a $13.3 million, one-year contract for 2026 that includes a 2027 vesting option.

Chapman will be guaranteed $26 million over two years if he pitches at least 40 innings next season. The team announced the deal Sunday following a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park.

Chapman, who earned his eighth All-Star selection this season, gets a $13 million salary next year. If the left-hander reaches 40 innings in 2026, he gets a $13 million salary again in 2027. If not, he would receive a $300,000 buyout unless both sides accept a mutual option, which would be unlikely.

The 37-year-old Chapman is having perhaps his best year, with a career-low 1.02 ERA during his 16th major league season and first in Boston. He converted his 27th save Sunday.

“This guy has been great for us, and not only on the field,” manager Alex Cora said before the game. “What he’s done on the field is amazing.”

After earning his 350th career save this season, the hard-throwing Chapman said his goal was to reach 400.

He extended his career-best hitless streak Sunday to 15 games, the longest in club history and tied for the third longest in the majors since 1901. Toronto’s Sergio Santos was the last to go that long, in 2013.

Chapman has 76 strikeouts in 53 innings this season. He hasn’t given up a hit to the past 44 batters he has faced.

Chapman is 59-47 with a 2.52 ERA and 362 saves for the Reds (2010-15), Yankees (2016-22), Cubs (2016), Royals (2023), Rangers (2023), Pirates (2024) and Red Sox (2025). He ranks third in strikeouts by a relief pitcher (1,322) and 13th on the career saves list.

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