Coronavirus updates from Italy, 108 deaths

The latest data released by the Italian Ministry of Health (ISS) indicates a continued decline in new cases of COVID-19 during the week of 24-30 October 2024. The number of new infections decreased from 8,860 in the previous week to 5,799. The number of deaths associated with the disease also showed a slight reduction, from 116 in the previous bulletin to 108. 1,705 new cases have been recorded in Lombardy, representing the highest number of infections across the various regions. This is followed by Veneto (737), Piedmont (623) and Lazio (598). Monitoring of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic revealed the emergence of the Xec variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, representing a 25% prevalence in sequenced cases by October. Concurrently, multiple other virus variants, including JN.1 and KP.3.1.1, were identified. The inherent complexity of the variants’ composition necessitates continuous monitoring and the potential adaptation of existing vaccination and treatment strategies, as proposed by the ISS-Ministry of Health steering committee.