Covid ends up by the wayside and a new disease worries the Italians. In fact, there is a boom in strep tests in pharmacies, which have replaced the hoard of swabs for Covid in recent years. According to the data analyzed by Iqvia, following the circular issued by the Ministry of Health on the increase in the incidence of scarlet fever and invasive streptococcus infection, the growth recorded this year in the sale of streptococcus tampons is exponential. From October 2022 to March 2023, 77,661 were sold, compared to 3,857 from October 2021 to March 2022. A good 2,000% more. Furthermore, there are more and more pharmacies where it is possible to undergo a swab to detect streptococcal infection and the number continues to rise. Since January of this year also in Italy, as in many other countries, there has been an increase in cases of scarlet fever, especially among children under the age of 15.
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The data also shows that the sales of antibiotics indicated against this bacterium are growing, in particular amoxicillin. According to Iqvia, 16.4 million doses were sold between November 2022 and March 2023, which is 38% more than in the same period last year when 11.9 million were sold. Taking into consideration that this antibiotic is also used for other indications, it is possible to believe, according to the experts, that the widespread diffusion of streptococcus A, which we are witnessing, is only one of the reasons for the growth. The side effects of years of pandemic.
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