Are Covid cases on the rise?
According to the latest data, the circulation of the SarsCoV2 virus in Italy is constantly and progressively increasing. The announced one summer wave 2024 by covid-19, therefore, can be considered officially started. The epidemiologist Cesare Cislaghi spoke of a growth in cases equal to “20% more every week in the last two months”. A situation that, at the moment, experts do not consider worrying, but which nevertheless needs to be monitored carefully.
What variants are currently in circulation?
A new family of SarsCov2 variants, called FLIRT, has been circulating for a few weeks. The variants are especially worrying KP.3 e LB.1, which are recording a sharp increase in infections, initially only in the United States, now also in Europe and Italy.
Fortunately, these are not more severe forms than the previous ones, however they have mutations that make them more severe transmissible and capable of immune escape, as well as evading vaccinations. For this reason, scientists are monitoring them very carefully. L‘The World Health Organization has not yet commented on these two new variants.
The summer wave is partly due to the arrival of these variants and the contagiousness of the viruswhich remains high. The susceptibility of the population, the promiscuity of citizens and the seasons play an important role. The proximity between people, favored by the increase in social occasions and vacations, and travel will probably favor the increase in infections, which have already recorded a 20% surge in recent weeks.
Here’s what’s going on with the new KP.3 variant.
Is the situation worrying?
The summer wave of Covid was expected by experts and at the moment it has not taken on characteristics that should cause concern. Obviously, the usual common sense rules must still be respected, but there is no need to fear excessively.
“Sand absurdly, if the growth were to continue until the end of the year like this, we would have around 300 thousand new cases per week and even 100 thousand hospitalised, a very unlikely situation, I would say impossible, but one that should make us reflect” the epidemiologist explained Cesare Cislaghi.
Even for the virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco there are no assumptions that suggest an alarming situation. These are his words: “There is certainly an underestimation of the number of cases because the epidemiological data does not clearly highlight the quantity of cases, but we verify one death per day more or less – even more – at Italian level. The good news is that these variants are lineages or sub-lineages of the Omicron and therefore of a virus that has become more tamed. Then, let’s remember, we have hybrid immunity due to previous infections or in any case vaccinations which perhaps do not prevent the infection, but in most cases further reduce its intensity“.
What are the most common symptoms today?
Is Covid the only infection currently circulating?
Due to the unstable weather conditions, in addition to SarsCoV2, there are currently still in circulation para-influenza and respiratory viruses. Also for this reason, many people in this period are showing symptoms such as sore throat, cough, fever, tiredness, malaise, which are generally more common in the winter period and during seasonal changes.
