Influenza in Turin: 600 ER visits in a single day

Piedmontese health sources report a total of approximately 600 visits to the Emergency Departments of the city of Turin in a single day, with a high number of these visits to the ‘Molinette’ hospital, where approximately 100 visits were recorded, and 15 patients were admitted to the boarding area, i.e. stretcher-borne patients waiting to be admitted to the wards; at the ‘Mauriziano’ hospital 150 visits, 46 of which were in boarding; at the ‘Maria Vittoria’ hospital 220 visits, 40 of which were boarding; and at the ‘Martini’ hospital: 182 visits, 25 of which were boarding due to influenza disease. In Turin and Piedmont, the prevalent virus this year is seasonal influenza, accompanied by other viral strains (Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Coronaviruses other than SARS CoV-2, Rhinovirus, SARS CoV-2, Adenovirus, Metapneumovirus, Parainfluenza Viruses), which is estimated to peak around the last week of January 2025. The clinical picture presented by medical professionals indicates a significant number of elderly individuals presenting with dehydration, outbreaks of pneumonia, and in some cases, full-blown pneumonia due to influenza. This has resulted in respiratory failure, which, if not adequately managed, can further exacerbate already precarious clinical conditions, particularly in subjects with one or more comorbidities, which means those affected by one or more chronic diseases.