Yellow and orange zone, Omicron variant, infections: the situation in Italy

From today Monday 17 January new color map of the Regions with the passage in the yellow zone of Campania and in the orange zone of Valle d’Aosta. In Italy, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is rampant and the peak of this Covid wave is near, it will take place in 2-3 weeks, according to the WHO. Yesterday 149,512 infections were recorded in our country and another 248 deaths; currently the positives are over 2 million and 500 thousand. Read also “If we compare this Sunday to the previous one, there are 6 thousand fewer cases. While maintaining maximum attention and absolute prudence, there are signs that there is a clear deceleration and we could expect a reduction in the number of cases” said Franco Locatelli, president of the Superior Health Council, guest of Fabio Fazio at ‘Che tempo che fa’ on Rai3. On the vaccination front, almost 92,000 first doses of the anti-Covid vaccine were administered on Saturday: such a high number had not been registered since September. OMICRON VARIANT – “This Omicron variant will reach everyone, there is no escape. There is no doubt that by the end of 2022, except for another variant, I believe that almost all the population for good or bad will meet this variant,” he said the undersecretary of health, Pierpaolo Sileri, to ‘Domenica In’, on Rai1. In countries like Italy, Omicron’s peak will be reached in “two to three weeks” and “then it will begin to drop” said WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, guest of Lucia Annunziata at ‘Mezz ‘hour more’ on Rai3. For Kluge, the “trajectory” followed by the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, to face the wave of Omicron “is the right one”. The WHO regional director then underlined “vaccination, booster doses, the use of masks” and “the great monitoring and access to antiviral drugs”. As for infection, “there are data that document a reduction in the ability to bind to the cells of the pulmonary alveoli. This is unquestionable, but we do not make the mistake of thinking that this variant cannot cause serious pathology” Locatelli underlined.

YELLOW AND ORANGE AREA – Based on the national provisions in force for the containment of the spread of the epidemic and the ordinances of the Minister of Health, today the map of Italy sees Basilicata, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Umbria in the white area. yellow Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, Veneto and the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano and in the orange zone the Valle d’Aosta. COLOR SYSTEM – The color system is in the spotlight. “The system of coloring the regions was developed in a concerted manner between the Ministry and the Regions in a different era – explained Locatelli, host of Fabio Fazio at ‘Che tempo che fa’ – That we can reach a reconsideration lies in the logic of what’s this. Having said that, let’s not forget that there is a management burden in hospitals even for asymptomatic patients who must be kept separate. Just as we do not make the mistake that asymptomatic people cannot infect ”. “In the coming weeks we will open a discussion with the Regions and in the next few hours we will open a technical table on the issues they propose” said Minister Speranza, who spoke at ‘Controcorrente’ on Retequattro. RT AND INCIDENCE – In Italy the Rt index rises. According to the latest report of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss) released on Friday, with the main data of the control room monitoring, “in the period 22 December 2021- 4 January 2022, the mean Rt calculated on symptomatic cases was equal to 1.56, a further increase compared to the previous week and well above the epidemic threshold “. The weekly incidence at the national level “continues to increase: 1.988 per 100.000 inhabitants (7-13 January) against 1.669 per 100.000 inhabitants (31 December 2021-6 January 2022), data from the Ministry of Health”. HOSPITAL SITUATION – As regards the situation in hospitals, the report highlights that hospital admissions and the occupancy of beds in intensive care are on the rise: “The employment rate in intensive care is 17.5% (daily survey by the Ministry of Health as of 13 January) against 15.4% (daily survey by the Ministry of Health as of 6 January). 21.6% (survey by the ministry as of January 6) “. NOT VACCINATED – From the extended report of the Higher Institute of Health on the progress of the Covid-19 epidemic in Italy it then emerges that the rate of hospitalized for Covid in intensive care is equal to 26.7 per 100 thousand for the unvaccinated and 0 , 7 per 100 thousand for vaccinated with full cycle plus additional dose / booster: 38 times higher. REINFECTIONS – “From August 24, 2021”, the day in which Covid reinfection cases were included in the daily data flow, “as of January 12, 2022, 70,629 cases of reinfection” by Sars-CoV-2 have been notified, “equal to 2 , 5% of the total number of cases reported (total first diagnoses since 24 August) “. In particular, “up to December 13 every week, reinfections represented approximately 1% of the total number of notified cases”. With the spread of Omicron, more capable of ‘piercing’ immunity than Delta, the percentage has risen and nevertheless, “although the figure is still in the consolidation phase, in the last week the percentage of reinfections (3.3% ) out of the total number of cases reported is stable compared to the previous week (3.1%) “. “The probability of contracting a reinfection – underlines the ISS – is higher in the unvaccinated than in those vaccinated with at least one dose, and in health workers compared to the rest of the population”. VACCINE – “In subjects vaccinated with an additional dose / booster, the effectiveness in preventing the diagnosis of” Covid-19 “and cases of severe disease is respectively 68.8% and 98%” underlines the Higher Institute of Health , in the extended report on the progress of the epidemic in Italy. “The effectiveness of the vaccine (risk reduction compared to non-vaccinated people) in preventing the diagnosis of Sars-CoV-2 infection – details the ISS – is equal to 71% within 90 days of the completion of the vaccination cycle, 57% among 91 and 120 days, and 34% beyond 120 days. The vaccine efficacy in preventing cases of severe disease remains high: 95% in vaccinated with a full course of less than 90 days, 93% in vaccinated with a full course of 91 and 120 days and 89% in the vaccinated who have completed the vaccination cycle for more than 120 days “. DEATH – “During the period 27 December 2021-9 January 2022, 1,701,009 new cases were reported, of which 1,004 died” due to Covid-19. A value, the latter, which “does not include people who died in the period with a diagnosis prior to December 27” the report states. STRONG INCREASE IN CASES IN 16-19 YEARS AND UNDER 5 ADMISSIONS – “In the last week there is an increase in the incidence” of Covid-19 “in all age groups” from 0 to 19 years “compared to the previous week: in particular, the incidence in the population aged 12-19 years is equal to 2,489 cases per 100 thousand vs 1,840 cases per 100 thousand in the previous week. In the age group 5-11 years, starting from the second week of October, a higher increase in incidence compared to the rest of the school-age population. In the last 2 weeks there has been a sharp increase in incidence in particular for the age group 16-19 years and a sharp increase in the hospitalization rate in the younger age group. 5 years (more than 10 hospitalizations per million inhabitants), and a more contained increase in the 16-19 age group “. “In the last week – it continues – the percentage of cases reported in the school age population remains stable (20%). 31% of school age cases were diagnosed in the 5-11 age group, 59 % in the 12-19 age group and only 10% in children under 5 “. Overall,” from the beginning of the epidemic to January 12, the 0-19 year old population was reported to the integrated Covid-19 surveillance system 1,403,640 confirmed cases of which 37 died “. As for the “period 27 December 2021-9 January 2022, 340,005 new cases were reported in this population, of which 1,245 hospitalized, 14 hospitalized in intensive care and one death (the reported values ​​do not include hospitalized people, hospitalized in intensive care and deaths diagnosed before December 27) “.