Covid infections are increasing in Italy while the Omicron variant continues to spread. Today, intensive care is fuller, ordinary hospitalizations are growing. Pending the ISS monitoring, it is certain that from Monday at least two other regions (Veneto and Liguria) will end up in the yellow zone with new rules and in particular with the obligation to wear a mask outdoors. Meanwhile, the indications on the use of Pfizer’s anti-covid pill arrive from the EMA.
There are 26,109 coronavirus cases registered in the latest bulletin, 123 dead. 718,281 swabs were processed, with a positive rate of 3.6%. In intensive care 101 new entries in 24 hours, 917 in total. There are 29 more hospitalized with symptoms for a total of 7,338 people. Since the beginning of the emergency, 5,308,180 people have been infected by Covid, while the victims are 135,301. In total, 4,854,949 healed, 13,704 in the last 24 hours. To date in Italy there are 317,930 Coronavirus positives, 12,277 more than yesterday.
The independent monitoring of the Gimbe Foundation detects in the week 8-14 December an increase, compared to the previous week, in new cases (124.568 vs 105.771) and in deaths (663 in the last 7 days – of which 21 referring to previous periods – vs 558) . There are also currently positive cases (297,394 vs 240,894), people in home isolation (289,368 vs 234,040), hospitalized patients with symptoms (7,163 vs 6,078) and intensive care (863 vs 776). In detail, there is an increase in new cases of 17.8%, deaths rise by 18.8%, and admissions to intensive care register a + 11.2%. A plus sign also for ordinary hospitalizations which increased by 17.9% and for people in home isolation: + 23.6%.
Omicron variant
Between 14 and 15 December, another 502 cases of Omicron variant were confirmed in the European Union and in the European Economic Area (EU / See), for a total of 2,629, according to the latest update released by the ECDC, European Center. for disease prevention and control. If the highest figure is that reported by Norway (1,498), this country having now decided to consider confirmed also the probable cases of Omicron, Italy has instead stopped at 27 for a few days.
According to information from public sources, confirmed cases of Omicron have been reported in all by 27 EU / SEE countries, including: Austria (59), Belgium (90), Croatia (3), Cyprus (3), Czech Republic ( 9), Denmark (310 only those confirmed by sequencing), Estonia (6, lower number than the previous one because cases erroneously counted as confirmed were excluded), Finland (20), France (170), Germany (102), Greece ( 5), Hungary (2), Iceland (20), Ireland (18), Latvia (14), Liechtenstein (1), Luxembourg (1), Netherlands (80), Portugal (69), Romania (11), Slovakia (3), Spain (51) and Sweden (51), and the two new countries reporting the presence of Omicron for the first time in this latest update, namely Lithuania (2) and Slovenia (4). In addition to these, several countries have reported a number of probable cases.
The regions in the yellow zone
From Monday 20 December, as announced by the presidents of the respective regions, Liguria and Veneto will end up in the yellow zone where Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano are already located. Marche and Trento are also at risk.
“From Monday, Liguria will be in the yellow zone for the next two weeks. According to the report of December 16, the average weekly incidence per 100 thousand inhabitants stands at 313 (314 Savona, 235 Spezia, 647 Imperia, 229 Genoa) while the number of beds employed in the medical area are 17% and those in intensive care are 12% “, announced the president of the region and councilor for health Giovanni Toti. Who added: “A figure that we expected given the circulation of the virus in recent days and that confirms how we are at the peak of the fourth wave. Fortunately, thanks to vaccines, hospitals and intensive care are occupied by a third compared to last year and this allows us not to have alarm situations in our hospitals “.
“We have a weekly incidence of about 450 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, it’s a high incidence. We have a 12.8% intensive care occupancy rate. Both parameters are from the yellow zone. We are hung from the white zone for the occupation of the medical area: we are at 13.7%, 1.3% from the yellow mark “, said the president of Veneto Luca Zaia for his part. “Christmas will be in yellow, as will New Year. If the data continues to grow, we will go towards the orange zone: we would manage the phase with the super green pass but the first closures would be triggered, for example at the level of municipal boundaries”, added Zaia, responding to a question about hypothetical scenarios. “To date, there are no projections that suggest the red zone,” the governor said.
Yellow zone, rules
The ‘relegation’ in the yellow zone provides for new rules, starting with the main measure: the mask becomes mandatory even outdoors. For the rest, the reference point remains the Super green pass: the certificate reserved for vaccinated and cured guarantees access to a series of activities and services. The Super green pass allows you to enter the restaurants indoors and sit at the table. THE
Pfizer covid pill
Pfizer anti-covid pill: it must be administered as soon as possible after diagnosis and within 5 days of the onset of symptoms, therapy lasts 5 days and is not recommended in pregnancy; while the breastfeeding person will have to interrupt the feedings to the baby during the treatment. These are the indications issued by the European drug agency Ema on the use of Paxlovid * (PF-07321332 and ritonavir), Pfizer’s antiviral pill against Covid-19. In fact, the medicine, although not yet authorized in the Union, can be used to treat adults with Covid who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at greater risk of progression to a serious disease.
The two active ingredients of the medicine, PF-07321332 and ritonavir, available in separate tablets, must be taken together 2 times a day for 5 days, explains the EMA which has prepared the ‘guide’ to support those national authorities who decide on a use of the medicine before its marketing authorization, for example in emergency settings, in light of the increase in infection rates and deaths due to Covid across the EU.
Paxlovid should not be used with some other medicines – Ema then specifies – both because due to its action it can lead to harmful increases in their blood levels, and because on the contrary some drugs can reduce the activity of Paxlovid itself. The list is included in the proposed terms of use. The anti-Covid pill should also not be used in patients with severely reduced kidney or liver function. Paxlovid is not recommended during pregnancy, but also in women who are not using contraceptives and can become pregnant. These recommendations are due to the fact that laboratory studies in animals suggest that high doses of the drug may have an impact on the growth of the fetus. The proposed conditions of use will be published shortly on the Ema website.
The Agency’s advice can now be used to support national recommendations on the possible use of the medicine before marketing authorization.
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