“The incidence of infections is still high, but the Rt index is stable” – Corriere.it

The incidence of infections in Italy is high: 524 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the surveillance period collecting data from a few days ago. There are differences between regions, but our country far exceeds the threshold established at the EU level. This was stated by the president of the Higher Institute of Health, Silvio Brusaferro, at the press conference organized at the Ministry of Health on the analysis of data from the regional monitoring of the control room. Intensive care and medical admissions show a rapidly growing curve near critical thresholds.

The president of the ISS then took stock of symptoms of the infected: The proportion of asymptomatic patients remains constant a little below 50-60%. So an important part remains without symptoms, others with mild symptoms. Even the minority of critical and severe patients, but in any case also a limited number, can influence the criteria for intensive care.

The Rt index proves to be stable: its curve is now growing more slowly, with a national average that exceeds 1 and in some regions it is close to 2. In summary, if on the one hand the slow stabilization of the contagion index is good news, on the other the national average at 1 , 7 shows that the risk is still high, as Brusaferro explains: Even if the RT is stabilizing, the alert on the threshold exceeded in some Regions and sub-regional areas in ICU locations, it should induce maximum attention. We are not in a condition for virus regression. For the situation to be defined under control, explained Brusaferro, the Rt index must fall below the value 1.

Professor Brusaferro explained, in fact, that in the analysis of the data that support the measures decided in a different way in the national territory – the famous yellow, orange and red areas – there are many factors: not only the increase and the incidence infections, but also the resilience of the health system. Hence the attention to the increase in the number of hospitalized in the structures of each territory.

Brusaferro concluded by appealing to respect for the social and behavioral measures provided by the Dpcm: The battle to bring the numbers to a more contained situation goes through the rules of behavior: masks, hygiene and distances they are the key to bringing the curve to a contained dimension.

Professor Locatelli highlighted the positive aspect of a stabilizing Rt index.
(Article in update)