"Looking at the flu epidemic curve, in these first few weeks, starting from the start of the sprint with cases 5 times higher than those recorded in the pre-Covid seasons,

it is likely that this year we will have an early peak

,

around the holidays of Christmas

, while usually the highest peak of infections did not occur before the end of the year".

The prediction was made by the secretary of

the Italian Federation of general practitioners 

(Fimmg)

Silvestro Scotti

, who invites us to use the precautions we have come to know with Covid.

"

The mask is still needed

, as is hand washing, caution in public places. They are the main safeguards against infection".   

"This year, therefore, - he reiterates - the flu peak could arrive together with Christmas or just before".

To prepare for the Christmas holidays and "save them", "it is advisable that in this phase we pay particular attention to the hygiene and health standards that we have respected in recent years".

We are still in November but

the flu data is already causing concern

.

The

vaccination campaign is proceeding slowly

and could become an amplifier of this trend.

This is the figure that comes from the 39th Congress of the Italian Society of General Medicine and Primary Care.

"This year the flu epidemic has already reached high levels - underlines Alessandro Rossi, head of the infectious diseases area of ​​SIMG - The cases that we family doctors have encountered are numerous, especially in

the young population and in children

.

The first signs lead us to reasonably assume that it will be a challenging epidemic: in fact, current numbers show that we are already at the advanced stage level of last year's flu epidemic.

We must therefore undertake to protect the fragile population by extending the vaccination campaign, targeting above all the over 65s, those affected by co-morbidities and immunocompromised subjects, which can have consequences on hospitalizations and deaths.

We must equip the clinics, administer the vaccines appropriately and overcome the hesitations.

Our role as figures who garner the trust of patients charges us with the responsibility of making people understand that it is a garrison of public health and individual health at the same time.