Influenza: 1 million cases exceeded in Italy

225.000 Italians spent Christmas week in bed due to influenza, while the total number of cases from October to today exceeds 1.5 million, mostly among children under 5. In the last week of December, there was a "slight decline" in cases due to school closures for the holidays, according to the epidemiological surveillance bulletin Influnet from the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS). The Autonomous Province of Trento, Marche, and Campania were the most affected regions. As reported by the Influnet bulletin, the total number of influenza cases since the beginning of surveillance has been 1.587.000. In the week of December 23-29, the overall incidence was 3,7 cases per thousand patients, but among children under five, it reached 10 cases per thousand. Along with the increase in infections, the number of serious cases, those characterized by respiratory complications requiring intensive care, is also increasing. According to the FluNews Italia bulletin, also published by the ISS, as of December 22nd, there had been eight such cases, almost all with risk factors such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Of these, three have died.