Covid, cases are rising again: what is happening and why there is no need to panic

It's true: Covid cases are rising again. But don't panic because autumn, like every year, brings with it flu and respiratory viruses, among which Covid also appears.

Sars-CoV-2 continues to circulate throughout the Northern Hemisphere, recording around 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In France, according to ministerial data reported by the press, medical consultations for Covid-19 increased by 76% in a week. In our country there were 128 cases in the month of September, of which more than half (74) only in Lombardy.

«What we are observing confirms a characteristic that Covid has shown in recent years: the virus has not disappeared and continues to proceed in waves, favored by the evolution of variants, the progressive decline in immunity and the increase in contact opportunities», specifies Fabrizio Pregliasco, director of the School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the State University of Milan, past president of Anpas (National Association of Public Assistance) and vice-president of Samaritan international.

It must also be taken into account that today far fewer tests are carried out and systematic surveillance has been reduced in many countries; therefore, the numbers should be interpreted with caution. «The data to observe is not just the number of positives. It is necessary to look above all at hospitalizations, intensive care and deaths, because these are the indicators that allow us to evaluate the real health impact of viral circulation", explains the virologist.

Finally, seasonal ailments such as influenza and respiratory infections are added, agents which can increase the overall number of sick people and, consequently, increase the pressure on GPs, emergency rooms and hospitals.