Italy Records Decrease in Covid-19 Cases but Increase in Deaths
In the week of 12-18 October, Italy recorded a total of 33,841 cases of Covid-19, which is a decrease compared to the previous survey’s 41,626 cases. However, despite the decline in cases, the country experienced an increase in deaths. A total of 197 deaths were reported, representing a variation of +22.4% compared to the previous week’s 161 deaths.
Despite the increase in fatalities, other indicators have shown a downward trend, according to data from the ISS-Ministry of Health monitoring. The incidence rate stood at 58 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is an 18.3% decrease from the previous week’s rate of 71 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Most regions in Italy have seen a decrease in incidence rates, with values not exceeding 118 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The region with the highest incidence rate was Valle D’Aosta, where 118 cases per 100,000 inhabitants were reported. In contrast, Sicily had the lowest incidence rate, with only 3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. While the ‘over 90’ age group remained the most affected, the incidence rate decreased across all age groups.
The reproductive number, or Rt, also decreased to 0.93, falling below the epidemic threshold of 1. This represents a decrease from the previous week’s Rt value of 1.08. The percentage of reinfections remains stable at around 42%.
Furthermore, the positivity rate for Covid-19 decreased to 13.8% in the last 7 days, representing a change of -1.6 percentage points from the previous week’s rate of 15.4%. During this period, a total of 245,458 swabs were carried out, a decrease of -9.1% compared to the previous week’s 270,011 swabs.
Despite the fluctuations in cases and deaths, the impact on hospitals has been limited, and hospitalization rates remain stable. As of October 18, the occupancy of beds in the medical area stood at 5.7%, with 3,551 hospitalized patients, similar to the previous week’s figure of 5.8%. The occupancy of beds in intensive care also remained unchanged at 1.3%, with 119 patients admitted.
The report highlights that hospitalization and mortality rates increase with age, with the highest values observed among individuals in the ‘over 90’ age group. The rate of admission to intensive care units also rises with age.
Additionally, sequencing data from the national I-Co-Gen platform reveals that the Eris variant remains the predominant strain circulating in Italy. Among the variants observed, the variant of interest Eg.5, specifically Eg.5.1.1, has been confirmed as the most prevalent.
As the Covid-19 situation continues to evolve in Italy, further measures and strategies may be implemented to combat the virus and protect public health.
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