Covid, Gimbe: “Infections slow down but more hospitalizations and intensive”

The growth of new Covid cases in Italy slows down (+ 20%), but hospitalizations and intensive care are increasing. These are some of the data that emerge from the independent monitoring of the Gimbe Foundation for the week 28 July-3 August 2021. Compared to the previous 7 days, there is an increase in registered infections (38,328 against 31,963, 19.9% ​​more) and a substantial stability of deaths: 120 in the last 7 days (12 of which related to previous periods) against 111 in the previous week (+ 8.1%), with an average of 17 per day compared to 16 in the previous week. Currently positive cases are increasing (94,216 against 70,310) and people in home isolation (91,762 against 68,510). But in particular Gimbe reports how the number of patients hospitalized in the medical area (from 1,611 to 2,196, + 36.3%) and in intensive care (+ 36.5%, from 189 to 258) continues to rise, although the numbers remain “low. absolute “, points out the report. The new weekly cases, says Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Gimbe Foundation, “continue to rise, albeit at a slower pace than the previous week, but they are undoubtedly underestimated by the insufficient testing activity and the failure to resume contact tracing”. In fact, the positive / people tested ratio, after soaring from 1.8% to 9.1% in 4 weeks, in the last 7 days has shown a more contained growth, rising to 10.7% and the moving average of new cases are gradually flattening out, the report highlights. In the week 28 July-3 August, compared to the previous one, in all Regions except the Autonomous Province of Trento and Lazio (Region where the hacker attack slowed down the updating of data ) there is a percentage increase in new cases. In 62 provinces the incidence is equal to or greater than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and in Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria and Veneto all the provinces reach or exceed this threshold. In four provinces there are over 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants: Cagliari (303), Ragusa (236), Caltanissetta (197) and Lucca (172). “After the first signs of recovery – says Renata Gili, Head of Research on Health Services of Gimbe Foundation – a net percentage increase in hospitalizations is confirmed: + 36.3% in the medical area and + 36.5% in intensive care “. In absolute terms, the number of beds occupied by Covid patients in the medical area went from a minimum of 1,088 on July 16 to 2,196 on August 3 and that of intensive care from a minimum of 151 on July 14 to 258 on August 3, but at the moment the percentages of employment at the national level remain very low: 4% in the medical area and 3% in intensive care. national Sicily (11%), Calabria (9%), Campania (6%), Basilicata (6%), Lazio (6%) and Sardinia (5%); for the critical area, Sardinia (10%), Liguria (6%), Lazio (5%), Sicily (4%) and Tuscany (4%) are above the national average. “Daily admissions to intensive care are increasing – explains Marco Mosti, Operational Director of the Gimbe Foundation – with a 7-day moving average of 21 admissions / day compared to 14 in the previous week”.