Italy, 9,000 pneumonia deaths

In Italy, a significant increase in viral and bacterial infections that cause pneumonia has been confirmed by medical sources, although there are no official data on the matter. The Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) has not released any official data on the phenomenon, but according to the reconstruction provided by La Stampa, in Italy, there have been an estimated 150,000 hospitalisations and 9,000 deaths from pneumonia over the past few months. This has been described by medical professionals as an unprecedented situation in Italian hospitals. Among the factors that have determined this increase is the wave of influenza that has affected approximately 17 million people, arriving late compared to previous years and therefore impacting a population with fewer immune defences, especially against the H3N2 virus, which had circulated little in recent times. Another important factor is the aging of the population. The elderly, especially those over 85, are more susceptible to respiratory infections, particularly in the context of chronic diseases, in addition to inadequate vaccination coverage.