The Rt index rises, the incidence increases, the Omicron variant widens while Italy is heading towards the peak of the covid wave, forecast by various experts for the end of January. The bulletin, which must be maintained for the CTS, certifies another 186,253 infections and 360 deaths. The new cases were identified on 1,132,309 swabs, the incidence according to the latest data stands at 16.5%. The overall picture is outlined by the ISS monitoring data, which paves the way for the relegation of Campania to the yellow zone and Valle d’Aosta to the orange zone.
The national Rt index rises to 1.56. “In the period 22 December 2021 – 4 January 2022, the average Rt calculated on symptomatic cases was equal to 1.56, a further increase compared to the previous week and well above the epidemic threshold”, notes the report, denying forecasts relating to a descent already in progress. 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).
Hospital admissions and the occupancy of ICU beds are also 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 06 January). national level rises to 27.1% (survey by the Ministry of Health as of January 13) against 21.6% (survey by the Ministry as of January 6) “, reads.
“In recent weeks the increase in incidence has been very, very significant. All regions have an Rt higher than 1 which we know is the epidemic threshold. In some cases it even reaches the value of 2”, highlights Silvio Brusaferro, president of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss). Cases grow in every age group. “The 20-29 age group is the one that has the highest number of cases on the rise, followed by 10-19 and 30-39. All the others follow. If we look at the younger age groups, we see that the curve is growing in all of them, “he says. The 30-day projections on hospitalizations “show a significantly present probability of occupancy of medical area beds in all regions”. Which will be “a little more contained as far as intensive care is concerned”.
Italy, as a whole, is experiencing “an acute epidemic situation. As regards hospital services, they have a trend that is comparable to what is also happening in other European countries and it is important that the growing trend in hospitalizations” for Covid ” can be reversed, precisely to try to avoid overloading the services that are already heavily engaged today “.
Meanwhile, the diffusion of the Omicron variant has reached 80.75%, “this means that in the next few days it will be the dominant one in our country”. Omicron “is about to become the one that characterizes the circulation and the new cases that occur in our country. There is still a circulation of the Delta variant, around 19-20%, which determines some cases”.
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