The positivity for flu in the community remains at high levels for the season, despite the decrease compared to the previous week, according to the epidemiological report of the EODY for the period April 8-14.

A small increase was also recorded in the positivity for SARS-CoV2, while all other indicators show a decrease.

In particular, the EODY report states:

Influenza-like illness – ILI (regardless of pathogen)

The number of influenza cases per 1,000 visits showed a decrease compared to the previous week.

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection – SARI (regardless of pathogen)

The number of SARI cases per 1,000 visits showed a slight decrease compared to the previous week.

SARS-CoV2 virus – COVID-19 infection

The positivity in all tested samples showed a slight increase compared to the previous week.

The number of admissions (n=66) showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of admissions in the previous 4 weeks (n=97) and was lower than the number of admissions in the corresponding week of 2023 (n=708).

No new intubation was recorded.

The average weekly number of new intubations during the previous 4 weeks it was 2 and the number of intubations in the corresponding week of 2023 was 16.

The number of intubated patients with COVID-19 infection is 7.

There were 4 deaths with a median age of 82 years (range 67-96 years). The number of deaths showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of deaths in the previous 4 weeks (n=7) and was lower than the number of deaths in the corresponding week in 2023 (n=46).

The most common sub-variant of BA.2 remains JN.1.

Viral load surveillance in municipal wastewater showed an increase in SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation in 2 of the 9 areas tested, a decline in 5, and a stabilization in 2.

Influenza virus

Influenza positivity in the community (sentinel network) is still above 10% (ECDC seasonal threshold for the onset of epidemic activity of influenza) and has shown a decrease compared to the previous week, although it remains at seasonally high levels ( with prevalence of type B influenza).

The positivity of the samples SARI showed a decrease compared to the previous week and remains at low levels.

3 new serious cases with hospitalization in ICU were recorded, while no new death from laboratory-confirmed influenza was recorded.

A total of 140 people with laboratory-confirmed influenza have been hospitalized in the ICU since the beginning of influenza surveillance, and 68 deaths from laboratory-confirmed influenza have been recorded.

A total of 888 influenza strains (derived from community sentinel samples, from SARI surveillance samples and from hospital samples outside surveillance networks) have been typed, of which 546 (61%) were type A and 342 (39%) type B.

In recent weeks the prevailing type is B both in the community (Sentinel PHY surveillance network) and in hospitals (SARI surveillance network).

In total, 528 A-type strains have been subtyped in the two Influenza Reference Centers. 487 (92%) belonged to the A(H1)pdm09 subtype and 41 (8%) to the A(H3) subtype.

Respiratory syncytial virus – RSV

RSV positivity remained low in both the community (PHC Sentinel surveillance network) and hospitals (SARI surveillance network).