Coronavirus in Italy: the Omicron 5 variant expands with 120 thousand infections and 173 deaths in one day

The sustained growth of infections and the increase in deaths from coronavirus raises alarm in Italy, where for the summer the health measures against the pandemic led by Ómicron BA.5, who registered an unexpected jump with 120,683 infected and 173 dead.

The data of the last few weeks have brought the totals since the beginning of the pandemic, in February 2020, to more than 170 thousand dead and 20 million infected, one out of three Italians.

The alarm is spreading over the summer boom of the pandemic, a phenomenon that is recorded in other European countries.

The latest variants of Omicron 5 they are very contagious and they also infect those who have already been vaccinated and those who have contracted the virus.

fewer vaccinations

The tiredness of the people who considered the pandemic over in the summer and the passivity of the government which, for example, practically paralyzed vaccinations with the fourth dose those over 60 incubated the explosion of infections and the increase in deaths.

The popular narrative is that the more contagious variants of Omicron are milder and show a significant decrease in severe cases and deaths.

The reality is that in Europe today there are three thousand deaths a day cause Covid, according to official data.

But for a month the Italian hospital system, as in the rest of Europe, has indicated an increase in the number of deaths. Some specialists have indicated that some variants attack the lungs of victims again, as happened in the first year and a half of the pandemic, producing the lethal double pneumonia that is now more successfully fought but the death toll is rising again.

The number of inmates in the ordinary wards of hospitals has grown to 17% and the most serious patients in intensive care are already 5%. They are small percentages, but they have increased rapidly.

There are 421 patients in intensive care and 11,265 in the wards.

New measures

The alarm supported by the numbers and the warnings of scientists that Italy is experiencing a new wave of infections, forced the government to act. It was decided to advance vaccination with the fourth dose for those aged 60 to 79, which had been incomprehensibly delayed until September.

This Monday hundreds of centers were opened and it was announced that the big “hubs” are about to reopen their doors.

Another problem is that the vaccination of the over 80s, which began three months ago, has been a failure. Only 28% of the elderly received the fourth dose.

Studies on the spread of Omicron 5 variants, which today dominate 75% of infections, predict a strong wave in September-October with the arrival of autumn.

The European Health Center for Prevention and Control ECDC, reported that the increase in infected, hospitalized and deaths in the last five weeks will continue to grow with Omicron variants 4 and 5.

In 23 of the 27 countries of the European Union there is an increase in infections, especially in people over the age of 65.

“Viral transmission among the older age groups begins to cause more and more serious illnesses”, Highlights the report.

Mathematical models suggest accelerating measures for a general vaccination of the population with the fourth dose, especially those over the age of 60, which greatly strengthens the defenses against the disease.

The European Center for Prevention ECDC warned that “it is necessary to step up interventions for increase protection also taking into account the autumn and winter waves of the Omicron variants of Covid-19.

The director of the center, Andrea Ammon, said that “tackling the new challenges requires significant efforts from health authorities and from European society in general”.

“There is an urgent need to establish a robust and integrated surveillance system in the event of a new pandemic. The availability of numerous safe and effective vaccines means that every infection prevented by Covid is a potential life saved“.