In the week between March 30 and April 5, there was a slight decrease in new cases of Covid-19: they were 469,479, or -6.9% compared to the 504,487 of the previous week. A drop that went hand in hand with that of tampons (-4.7%). While deaths return to above one thousand, passing from 953 to 1,049, with an increase of 10.1%. This was revealed by the new monitoring of the Gimbe Foundation.
Swabs performed, both molecular and antigenic, dropped from 3.32 million in the week of March 23-29 to 3.16 million in the week of March 30-April 5, while the average rate of positive swabs remains around 13%.
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by our correspondent Gianluca Modolo
Fewer cases but more deaths
“After the stabilization of last week – he declares Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Gimbe Foundation – new weekly cases amounted to 469 thousand, with a reduction of 6.9% and a daily average of around 68 thousand cases. However, it remains very difficult to make forecasts, both due to the heterogeneity of regional situations, and because in some large Northern Regions there are signs of an upturn. “In the week 30 March-5 April, in fact, a percentage increase in new cases is noted. in 4 Regions (from + 1.3% in Veneto to + 10.4% in Emilia-Romagna) and a decrease in 17 (from -1.3% in Lombardy to -18.2% in Umbria).
“The number of deaths that shows no sign of decreasing – underlines Cartabellotta – deserves particular attention: in fact, alongside non-modifiable epidemiological factors (advanced age, comorbidities), there are determinants linked to the decline in vaccination efficacy on serious disease and to the under-use of antiviral drugs on which, instead, it is possible to intervene “.
Slight increase in hospitalizations, decrease in intensive
The number of Covid patients hospitalized in hospital wards continues to increase, albeit only by 5.2% and to a lesser extent than last week, while those in intensive care are returning to decline, which see a -3.3%. From March 30 to April 5, 10,246 patients were hospitalized with symptoms compared to 9,740 (+506), while patients in intensive care fell from 487 to 471 (-16).
“It is important to note – comments Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Foundation – that the picture of hospitalized patients has changed considerably in the last 6 months, both due to vaccination coverage and related boosters, and due to the progressive replacement of the delta variant with the omicron one, more contagious, but less severe “. In particular, if at the end of October 3.22% of the currently positive in the medical area and 0.47% in intensive care were hospitalized, today these percentages have fallen to 0.78% and 0.04% respectively.
In addition, he continues, “if the recent increase in cases has led to an increase of over 2,000 beds in the medical area in three weeks, a plateau is currently being observed in the critical area. This shows that the number of patients has significantly decreased. Covid-19 hospitalized for severe pneumonia requiring hospitalization in intensive care – he concludes – while above all elderly people with multiple pathologies are hospitalized who can be assisted in ordinary wards “.
Vaccinations at the pole
As of April 6, there are still 6.93 million people who have not received even a dose of the vaccine: of these 2.58 million are only temporarily protected as they have recovered from Covid for less than 180 days. As a result, there are approximately 4.35 million people who can currently be vaccinated, a figure that continues to ignore the exemptions of which the exact number is not known. Yesterday morning 85.6% of the population (equal to 50.734.581) received at least one dose of vaccine (+11.173 compared to the previous week) and 84% (49.778.737) completed the vaccination cycle (+ 33,970 compared to the previous week).