"The third wave has begun", "We are at the beginning of the third wave", "It's third wave": the third wave of Covid-19 is no longer a threat but is becoming a reality. Doctors and experts tell us this, as confirmed by the most updated data from the weekly monitoring of the Ministry of Health. Professor Andrew Crisanti, director of the Micrology department of the University of Padua, in a statement to the Agi agency promises that in a week "We will count 30 thousand infections a day. The third wave has already begun. We need a different approach to everything: distancing, monitoring, testing, schools ”. In particular on vaccines he says: “It seemed they were all going to arrive immediately. Thus attention was diverted to the problem of tracing ".
An alarming picture, confirmed by the latest news according to which Piedmont, Lombardy and Marche will pass into the orange zone from XNUMX March. Bologna and some municipalities of the Emilia Romagna region would turn dark orange. Molise and Basilicata become the red zone. Sardinia could be classified in the white band apart from the Maddalena archipelago area.
For the first time since Christmas, cases of positivity have significantly increased
The situation in Lombardy is very worrying, where overall infections are very high, with over 4000 cases in one day. There are important outbreaks in Brescia, but also in Bergamo, Varese and the Milanese hinterland. In Lombardy, the vaccination plan has been modified, giving priority to the most affected areas where there are now all the conditions for talking about the third wave.
Despite the nationaltransmission RT index is, at the moment, still stable at 0,99, ten regions pass level 1. According to the data of the week from February 19 to 25, 103.023 positive cases were recorded, the 25,6 percent more than the previous week's monitoring. It is the first significant growth since the gradual containment that has taken place since the Christmas period. The pressure on intensive care is also increasing and the age of those infected with important symptoms of the disease has decreased.
The third wave similar to last year's first
According to experts, this third wave inevitably suffers from the high degree of transmissibility of the English variant and the other variants. It is different from the second wave of autumn / early winter which was more homogeneous. Instead, it is very close, as Professor pointed out Matthew Bassetti, director of the Clinic of Infectious diseases of the Hospital of Genoa, in Tagadà on LA7, according to the modalities of the first wave, that of a year ago. Also this third wave is in fact starting to spot, focusing on particular areas. A rapid intervention is therefore necessary, strengthened by the knowledge and tools that have in the meantime been acquired in the last twelve months. Today between 300 and 350 thousand swabs are done a day, we have the weapon of vaccines, hospitals are overall better equipped.
Agenas, the National Agency for Regional Health Services, has made available to hospital and local doctors a document that defines the clinical characteristics useful for establishing the most appropriate assistance modalities for patients affected by Covid-19. But it also allows for adequate planning by health facilities. The study, which 23 experts worked on and which was coordinated by Professor Bassetti himself, indicates the criteria for establishing, in the event of a positive outcome, who can stay at home and who must be hospitalized with different intensity of care, hospitalization phases. and discharge. A tool that could prove to be fundamental to tackle the third wave. Flanked by the usual indications: use of the mask, reduction of contacts and spacing. And a lot of attention to the variants. Those that, according to experts, can most get out of control.
The European Union is planning a vaccination passport
On the vaccine front, in the last meeting with the leaders of the European Union, President Mario Draghi called for a hard line with pharmaceutical companies in breach of agreements for the purchase of vaccines. The leaders of the Union have also proposed the possibility of a vaccination passport.
