The data is improving. Omicron is a little less scary and contagion from Covid-19 are decreasing in Italy. Yet the government is already thinking aboutAutumn and does not hide the fear of another wave, with an increase in infections, hospitalizations and deaths. But this time, he assures us, we will be ready.
The Undersecretary of Health, Andrea Costaspeaks of a possible resurgence of Covid in Octoberbut he says he is convinced that the scenario will be very different from that of a year ago, also thanks to vaccinations. Speaking to RaiNews24, Costa underlines that prudence and a sense of responsibility will be needed to be truly ready against a new wave caused by the Omicron variant.
Covid in Italy: cases, incidence and hospitalizations are down
The latest data from the weekly ISS-Ministry of Health monitoring show a drop in infections in Italy. Goes down the incidence: from 375 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants to 261. And it also falls the Rt indexpassing to an average value of 0.86, therefore below the critical threshold of 1. Similarly, the transmissibility index on cases with hospitalization does not cause concern, remaining below the threshold.
The situation also improves hospitals: the occupation of the beds in intensive therapy it goes from 3.1% last week to 2.6% now. In Covid medical area it drops from 10.9% to 9%. As for the data of the individual Regions, only one is considered to be at high risk for not having sent enough data. All the others are low risk.
Only in six Regions there is an alert of resilience, while none has more than one. The number of cases detected through the contact tracking (13%), through the onset of symptoms (44%) and through screening activities (44%).
Omicron, Costa’s forecast: new wave in October
Although the data at the moment are improving and for the summer the situation seems under control, a new worsening in the fall. Hypothesis considered probable also by Costa, according to which there will be a resurgence, but it is scenario will be different: “However, most of our citizens have vaccine protection. We must obviously continue with prudence and a sense of responsibility and be ready in case there is a need for a new intervention on the vaccination campaign or on other measures.”.
The undersecretary, therefore, makes it clear that the government will consider both the hypothesis of one new dose of vaccine is to apply new measures. And the first that comes to mind is a return of the masks, at least in indoor places. Hypotheses that, however, will not be evaluated for a few months.
Goodbye to masks at school?
The other goal set by the government in terms of Covid is that relating to the world of school. According to Costa, the aim to be pursued is one: to start the new school year in attendancebut also without bezel for students and teachers. Schools, we recall, are among the few places where the mask is still mandatory, at least until the end of the school year. “I believe that the conditions exist to remove the masks during teaching activities, but it is a government with different sensitivities. I believe it is not a purely scientific choice, but more a political interpretation”, Explains the Undersecretary for Health.