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COVID-19 STATS

Italy records sharp increase in Covid patients in intensive care

Italy's latest health data showed that the trend of falling intensive care admissions had reversed in the past week, while the number of new infections continues to rise.

Published: 4 November 2021 17:24 CET
The number of Covid patients in Italy's ntensive care units had been falling for over two months.
The number of Covid patients in Italy's ntensive care units had been falling for over two months. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

The number of Covid-19 patients in Italian intensive care units increased by 12.9 percent in the period from October 27-November 2, the independent Gimbe foundation for evidence-based medicine said in its weekly report on Thursday.

The number of patients in intensive care units had been steadily dropping since the end of August.

Italy also recorded another rise in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases (+16.6 percent) and an increase in the number of patients with coronavirus being admitted to hospital (+14.9 percent), data from the health ministry showed.

The number of Covid-related deaths in the last week was relatively stable at 257, compared to 249 the previous week.

The report stressed that pressure on health services remained relatively low, with the proportion of ordinary hospital wards and intensive care beds occupied by Covid patients at five percent and four percent respectively nationwide, with regional differences.

READ ALSO: Which Italian regions have the highest Covid vaccination rates?

taly’s Covid emergency commissioner General Francesco Figlioilo stated on Thursday that “the growth in infections does not correspond, for now, to a proportional increase in hospitalizations”

He said the country’s vaccination campaign “is proving to be decisive in limiting severe forms of disease, with positive impact on the hospital system”.

However, the number of people being vaccinated against Covid-19 continued to fall this week (by -39.6 percent) with the number of people receiving a first jab now at roughly 20,000 a day.

READ ALSO: Why are Covid infections in Italy rising?

In the over-60s, Gimbe’s report noted the first signs of a “reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine against serious disease”.

“The vaccine’s efficacy on serious illness is confirmed to be very high, but with a slight and progressive decrease,” the report stated.

The report said faster administration of third vaccine doses was needed in order to prevent an increase in serious cases among the most vulnerable this winter.

Health authorities are now recommending a booster shot to all risk groups and those over 60, as well as healthcare workers and care home staff. However, the take-up of third doses has so far been limited.

Italy is likely to make a third dose available to all from January.

The government recently set a new target of fully vaccinating 90 percent of the eligible population, and is reportedly considering making jabs mandatory for more groups as vaccine take-up continues to slow.

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COVID-19

Germany’s weekly Covid infection rate rises above 500

Germany recorded a weekly Covid incidence of more than 500 per 100,000 people on Monday as health experts warn that the fifth wave of the pandemic has only just begun.

Published: 17 January 2022 13:09 CET
Bar in Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, which has the highest incidence in the country.
People sit outside bars in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, where incidences are currently the highest in the country. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christophe Gateau

On Monday, the 7-day incidence of Covid infections per 100,000 people stood at 528, up from 515 the day before and 376 a week ago. 

Infections have been rising rapidly as the highly transmissible Omicron variant tightens its hold in Germany. Monday marked the fourth day in a row in which the country posted record incidences.

Since the first incidence of the variant was discovered in the country around seven weeks ago, Omicron has swiftly taken over as the dominant variant in Germany.

It currently accounts for around 73 percent of Covid infections and is expected to almost entirely replace the Delta variant this week. 

Though Omicron generally causes a less severe illness than Delta, experts are concerned that deaths and hospitalisations could remain high due to the unprecedented number of cases Germany could see.

Unlike Delta, Omicron has a large number of mutations that allow it to evade previously built up immunity through vaccinations and illness. 

The World Health Organisation has warned that half of all Europeans could be infected with the virus by spring. 

“After the temporary decline in case numbers, severe disease courses and deaths towards the end of 2021 in the fourth wave, the fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has begun in Germany with the dominant circulation of the omicron variant,” the Robert Koch Institute wrote in its weekly report on Thursday.  

Since the first Omicron case was discovered in Germany, there have been 191,422 suspected or proven cases of the variant.

As Welt data journalist Olaf Gersemann pointed out in Twitter, the number of Omicron cases has increased sixfold within a fortnight. 

Increase in hospitalisations

Before this weekend, Germany had hit its previous peak of infections back in November, when the country posted a 7-day incidence of 485 per 100,000 people at during the peak of the fourth wave.

Since then, Covid measures such contact restrictions and blanket 2G (entry only for the vaccinated and recovered) or 2G-plus (vaccinated or recovered with a negative test) have been relatively effective at turning the tide. 

READ ALSO:

For the past few weeks however, infections have been on the up once again as the Omicron fifth wave begins.

The incidence of hospitalisations in the country appears to also be on the rise again after a few weeks of decline. On Friday, the 7-day incidence of hospitalisations stood at 3.24 per 100,000 people, up from 3.13 the day before.

Over the weekend, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warned that Omicron could place additional pressure on the general hospital wards as fewer people end up in intensive care. 

“Depending on how things develop, we may face shortages not only in the intensive care units, but also in the normal wards. There is a threat of entire departments being closed,” he said.

“Rapid spread of the virus would mean hundreds of thousands will become seriously ill and we will have to mourn many thousands of deaths again.” 

Karl Lauterbach

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) speaks at a weekly press conference on Friday, January 14th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Kay Nietfeld
 

Northern states post record incidences

Since the start of the Omicron wave, northern Germany has been disproportionately affected by the virus.

As of Monday, the city-state of Bremen had the highest incidence in the country, with 1389 new cases per 100,000 people recorded in a week.

This was followed by Berlin, which currently has a 7-day incidence of 948, and Hamburg, which recorded a 7-day incidence of 806. The district with the highest incidence in Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, which posted a weekly incidence of 1597 on Monday. 

In contrast to the fourth wave, the lowest Covid incidences were recorded in the eastern states of Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. 

On Monday, Thuringia had a weekly incidence of 198 per 100,000 people, while Saxony’s incidence was 249 and Saxony-Anhalt’s was 280.

Somewhat inexplicably, the incidence has been declining in Thuringia in recent weeks, though there is speculation that this could be to do with the fact that Omicron has not yet spread in the state.

Nine of the sixteen German states have incidences of more than 500 per 100,000 people. 

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