Italian broadcaster Rai News has reported that there are record numbers of flu cases in the country, with around 770,000 Italians currently affected.
Data from the InfluNet report of the Istituto Superiore di Sanita has shown that around 13 in every 1000 Italians is suffering from influenza. Matteo Bassetti, director of the infectious disease department at the San Martino polyclinic hospital in Genoa says that this is a record amount since 2009, and we are not yet at the peak of the season. He explains that the flu curve “will continue to grow because this is just the very beginning”.
Bassetti also stresses that the highest incidence is currently among children, who normally can overcome the sickness within a few days, but it could end up affecting adults and the elderly. With this in mind, he warns that the elderly must get the vaccine as soon as possible.
The spread of the virus has also varied depending on region, with around 20 per thousand affected in Emilia Romagna and 18 per thousand in Lombardy. Among children under 5 there are around 40 cases per thousand, whilst among those over-65 it currently stands at 5 per thousand.
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