BOLZANO. Bacterial pneumonia. South Tyrolean family doctors register hundreds of cases. Fabrizio Pregliascohealth director of the Irccs Galeazzi – of Milan and virologist of the University of Milan, South Tyrolean by adoption, says that the province of Bolzano follows the national trend. “This year with the unstable weather we have never seen the end of respiratory infections. The continuous temperature changes cause viruses similar to influenza to proliferate. And so we count a large number of bacterial pneumonias, respiratory syncytial viruses, rhinoviruses, etc.”
Domenico Bossioa family doctor in Lana and Giuliano Piccoliori, scientific director of the Institute of General Medicine and Public Health in Bolzano and a family doctor in Val Gardena say that bacterial pneumonia has been hitting hard for two to three weeks. “Many patients have been hospitalized – says Bossio – because they were no longer eating. I have even had cases of very young people.”
Doctors are also recording a wave of serious viral gastroenteritis, which is struggling to pass. “In addition to the patients – says Piccoliori – my entire family has also fallen ill.” The presence of influenza-like viruses characterized by a very strong cough, sore throat and high fever is heavy.
Seasonal flu
We are less than a month away from the start of the vaccination campaign that will also start in Alto Adige against the flu and Pregliasco paints a less than reassuring scenario. “The forecast is for an intense flu, worse than the last one. We see it from what is happening in Australia, where winter has just ended, which is recording the second worst flu of the last ten years. The elderly and frail must defend themselves with the vaccine updated to the A/H3N2 variant”. Better not to be caught unprepared even if Alto Adige has always boasted low rates of adherence to vaccinations. Last year the ASL had ordered 45,000 doses of flu for the over 65s, which can be increased to around 100,000 (including the nasal spray vaccine for children). And the supplies were sufficient.
Covid, new variant
Covid is also always present with the population less and less accustomed to testing. “The virus has become more benign – says Pregliasco – but it kills 100 people a week in Italy. Once again the elderly and frail. I recommend the “double shot”, against the flu and the flirt Xec variant of the Kp3 virus that belongs to the Omicron family. Paxlovid is available for treatment, a powerful antiviral drug for the early treatment of the disease. But vaccination remains more than recommended”.
2024-09-19 07:43:28