COVID-19 Update: Cases Rise by 44% in Italy

 The Italian National Health Institute (Istituto Superiore di Sanità or ISS) reports an increase in COVID-19 cases, with a 44% rise in the past week, totaling 21,309 new cases. Contact tracing continues primarily through word of mouth, as testing has become less frequent, and there is no longer a requirement for isolation.

Silvestro Scotti, the Secretary of the Italian Federation of General Practitioners (Federazione Italiana Medici di Medicina Generale or FIMMG), shares a telling incident reflective of the current situation: a teacher tested positive through a self-swab. However, issuing a COVID-19 certification based on a self-diagnosis is not possible.

With regulations becoming increasingly relaxed, it appears that Italy is approaching a kind of "do-it-yourself COVID season." Infections have been on the rise for three weeks, and those who test positive can move around freely, provided they wear a mask.

Although COVID-19 symptoms are less severe compared to previous years, the number of deaths has increased. In the past week, 94 deaths were reported, up from 65 the previous week.

Francesco Vaia, Director of Prevention at the Ministry of Health, encourages the elderly and vulnerable individuals to participate in the vaccination campaign, which will cover both COVID-19 and influenza starting from October.

While new variants continue to emerge, none currently appear to be particularly concerning. In the meantime, our immune system has developed a response involving both antibodies and lymphocytes, providing effective protection against severe symptoms.

Susanna Esposito, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Parma, advises preventive measures such as handwashing, wearing masks in crowded places, and nasal-pharyngeal swab testing when necessary.