The peak is expected after the holidays. Meanwhile, the flu curve continues to rise. And Sardinia is recording the highest numbers in relation to the population.
Last week, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità's RespiVirNet surveillance system recorded over 816,000 cases of acute respiratory syndromes, nearly 100,000 more than the previous week. Over 40% of infections are attributable to influenza viruses , and among these, more than half are due to the new K strain of the A/H3N2 virus , which is now dominant. The new virus, the ISS specifies based on epidemiological data provided by the WHO, although characterized "by an evolutionary advantage that increases its transmissibility," does not currently show "an increase in the severity of clinical manifestations. Furthermore," it continues, "preliminary estimates suggest that the vaccines currently in use continue to protect against hospitalization , although, based on the data available to date, it is not possible to establish their efficacy against the clinical manifestations of the disease."
Regarding influenza circulation, last week, as usual, children under 4 were the most affected age group : while the general population had an incidence of 14.7 cases per thousand inhabitants, the rate was triple that among younger children (42 cases per thousand). Among the regions, a sudden explosion of the flu season was recorded in Sardinia (23.61 cases per thousand) and Campania (21.07), where in just seven days the intensity went from low or medium to very high, the maximum on the scale. Sicily also had high intensity (17.61 cases per thousand).
(Unioneonline)
