COVID infection rates are falling in
Italy but deaths have surged with a 42% increase in the last
seven days, the Gimbe Foundation said in its independent
monitoring Thursday.
In the week from November 11 to 17, the medical foundation said,
Italy saw a first slowdown in the growth of COVID cases.
But it said the rise in deaths was "exponential", up 41.7%.
Deaths rose from 2,918 in the previous week to 4,134 in the
latest weekly monitoring.
Gimbe said the "this rise is destined to increase in the next
few weeks, because the effect of the (restrictive) measures
first reduces the contagion rates, then admissions and intensive
care cases, and only lastly deaths".
From 11 to 17 November the number of new COVID cases was
242,609, up 24.4% from the previous week's 235,634, the
foundation said.
This was with a slight drop, 2%, in the number of swabs taken,
at 854,626 compared to 872,026.
Admissions to hospital wards were up 15.5% from 28,633 to
33,074.
Intensive care cases were 3,612 in the last seven days, ,
compared to 2,971 in the previous week, a gain of 21.6%.
"The containment measures," said Gimbe President Nino
Cartabellotta, "have not flattened the infection curve, which is
continuing to rise, albeit at a slower rate, along with the
curve for admissions and intensive care places.
"The contagion, in short, is like a car which, after
accelerating for weeks, is now going at a very high but constant
speed".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
