The decline in infections and hospitalizations for Covid-19 continues.

From 31 August to 6 September hospitalizations in the medical area see a -17.8% and those in intensive care mark -18.1%, while in the same seven days new cases drop by 17.3% and deaths by 22, 1%.

This is indicated by the new monitoring of

the Gimbe Foundation

.

"The number of new weekly cases - declares Nino Cartabellotta, president of Gimbe - is around 124 thousand, with an average of 17 thousand cases per day. Since mid-August, the curve has been in a plateau phase with a slight downward trend in the last days".

In detail, the new infections from Sars-cov-2 were 123,782 compared to 149,701 in the previous week.

There were 4,459 hospitalizations with Covid symptoms compared to 5,427 and intensive care 185 compared to 226. The decline in deaths continues: 447 in the last 7 days (of which 66 referring to previous periods), with an average of 64 per day compared to to 82 of the previous week.

There was also a slight decrease in the number of total tampons (-1.2%): from 1,024,798 on 24-30 August to 1,012,676 on 31 August-6 September.

In all regions there is a percentage drop in new cases (from -8.8% in the Autonomous Province of Trento to -34.2% in Calabria).

Compared to the previous week, in 104 provinces there was a decrease in new cases (from -1% in Cremona to -38.3% in Crotone), while only three showed an increase: Forlì-Cesena (+ 7.4%), Ravenna (+ 7.2%) and Belluno (+ 2.4%).

The incidence remains below 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in all provinces: from 90 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Barletta-Andria-Trani to 409 in Crotone.

However, there is no shortage of concerns for the next few months.

"In contrast to the recommendations of the international public health bodies - comments Cartabellotta - the executive in charge has not, to date, prepared any preparation plan for next autumn-winter. Moreover, the monitoring of the parties' proposals relating to health documents that the management of the pandemic and the vaccination campaign remain on the sidelines of the electoral proposals. The risk is to find, for the umpteenth time, in the middle of the autumn season chasing the virus, compromising the health of the most vulnerable and generating delays in healthcare ordinary ".

Immediately fourth dose, do not wait for updated vaccines

According to the official audience, the national coverage for the fourth doses is 17.7%, but with clear regional differences: from 6.6% in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano to 33.7% in Piedmont.

Furthermore, the fourth doses (or second booster) have been decreasing in the last week: from 31 August to 6 September they see an average of 10,656 doses per day, compared to 12,652 in the previous week, equal to -15.8%.

What influences the behavior of Italians is probably the wait to be able to do it with updated vaccines.

The bivalent vaccines Pfizer and Moderna, updated for the Omicron BA.1 variant, which have been given the green light by the Italian drug agency, compared to the original monovalent vaccine, induce "a greater antibody response both towards Omicron BA.1 and of BA.4 and BA.5, with a superimposable safety profile ".

However, the president of Gimbe points out, "considering that Omicron BA.1 no longer circulates in Italy and that the vaccines updated to BA.4 and BA.5 are in the pipeline, the role of this first updated vaccine seems marginal, also because we do not have evidence of efficacy on infection and, above all, on serious illness. What is really important for those over 60 and frail is to take the fourth dose as soon as possible with any vaccine available, without waiting any longer ".

While the general population that must complete the primary course with the third dose, Cartabellotta concludes, "can opt for the 'traditional' vaccine, for the one updated to BA.1, or wait for the one developed for BA.4 and BA.5, the whose approval by the European Medicines Agency is expected in mid-September ".