Lombardy, Italy is currently experiencing a rise in respiratory infections, including influenza and COVID-19, as the region moves further into winter. New surveillance data released this week indicates a critically important increase in cases, placing strain on local healthcare systems and prompting public health officials to monitor the situation closely. the latest bulletin details the spread across various age groups and provides an update on COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths within the region, particularly in the heavily impacted province of Bergamo.
Respiratory infections are on the rise in Lombardy, Italy, according to the latest surveillance bulletin released this week, signaling a continued strain on public health resources as winter progresses. Understanding these trends is crucial for informing preventative measures and ensuring adequate healthcare capacity.
Data from January 5 to January 11 shows an increase in respiratory illness incidence, rising from 10.41 cases per 1,000 residents (3,477 acute respiratory infections) to 10.73 cases per 1,000 (4,809 infections). This represents approximately a 38% increase compared to the week of December 29 to January 4. In the Bergamo area, approximately 12,000 infections were reported during the same period, a 3.4% increase from the previous week’s 11,600 cases.
The figures are based on data collected through sentinel networks of general practitioners and pediatricians participating in the RespiVirnet epidemiological surveillance system. Since October, the province of Bergamo has recorded over 100,000 cases of respiratory illnesses, including influenza, parainfluenza, COVID-19, common colds, and bronchiolitis.
The most recent data, covering January 5 to January 11, reveals the following distribution of cases across Lombardy: 354 infections in the 0-4 age group (an incidence of 13.97 per 1,000 residents), 316 cases in the 5-14 age group (5.06 per 1,000), 530 cases in the 15-24 age group (12.83 per 1,000), 1,322 cases in the 25-44 age group (14.40 per 1,000), 1,439 cases in the 45-64 age group (11.47 per 1,000), and 848 cases among those 65 and older (8.32 per 1,000). Nationally, the total incidence of acute respiratory infections is 13.3 cases per 1,000 people.
COVID-19 Cases Also Increasing
The regional bulletin also indicates an increase in COVID-19 cases, with 353 new cases reported in the second week of January, bringing the total to 1,088 (compared to 817 the previous week). Currently, 13 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19 related illnesses, including one in intensive care – a decrease from the 19 total hospitalizations reported the prior week. Six new deaths related to COVID-19 were also recorded. Within Bergamo and its province, 210 new cases were identified in the last week, with no reported deaths. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region since the start of the pandemic now stands at 354,199, representing a 32.08% infection rate relative to the population.
