The war against Covid is slowly starting to end , but the double alarm returns, it is appropriate to say it, in anticipation of winter. The s fear twindemia, a "twin epidemic" (from the English twins, twins), is just around the corner, as it has been in the past two winters. This year could be different: after the two cold seasons spent with the masks on the nose and mouth that have almost made us forget the normal flu, now there is the strongest risk of a double and simultaneous contagion caused by the blows of the tail of the Covid19 and seasonal flu.
Rt index rises
“Also this week the number of Covid cases in our country tends to increase and the incidence is around 441 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants. The Rt also increased, rising to 1.18, therefore above what is considered the epidemic threshold. The occupancy rate of places in the medical area is also growing, we are at 8.2%, and in intensive care at 1.8%, which in any case is below the critical threshold ", says Giovanni Rezza, general director of Prevention of the Ministry of Health.
Twindemia alarm
If in France and England the wave of infections continues at a rapid pace, but which in any case does not arouse alarm, the danger is twindemia, or twin infection caused by Covid and seasonal flu, especially in the fragile categories and the over 60s. In autumn and winter we may have multiple simultaneous infections “caused by different respiratory viruses. Often a double infection leads to a more severe course of the disease and also to an increase in mortality ", explains Christian Wiedermann of the Institute of General Medicine and Public Health in Bolzano.
"In England, double viral infections have been detected in about 8% of patients who have contracted Covid. In cases of this type - continues Wiedermann - the risk of having to mechanically ventilate patients doubles".
In the past fewer seasonal influences
"Wearing masks and maintaining interpersonal distance drained the pelvis in which the flu virus develops. Precisely for this reason it has not been able to spread in the usual way. Our immune defenses have had less contact. These contacts, in addition to vaccination, contribute to our continuous immune protection ", explains Wiedermann who underlines:" To this is added another fact: since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic fewer people have been vaccinated against the flu virus ".
Lost our immune protection
"As a result, an additional part of our immune protection has been lost. Therefore I highly recommend the flu vaccination this fall," says Wiedermann. "The vaccination also protects against the 'Australian' variant of the flu. People over the age of 65 and particularly people with chronic diseases have a greater risk of a serious course of the flu especially after a double contagion from Covid and flu ".
Maintain prudent behavior
"Given the increase in the speed of spread of the virus , it is good to continue to maintain prudent behavior and complete the vaccination cycle, especially for frail people and the over 60s", concludes Giovanni Rezza, Director General of Prevention of the Ministry of Health.
(Unioneonline / EC)