Update: Week 4

The influenza virus is spreading again in Italy. There have been 111,000 cases in the last week, a bit more than in the previous week (97,000). It looks like it's not the A(H1N1) virus but a different one. A newspaper of Genoa, the local edition of La Repubblica, has said that in Liguria region the cases increased by 30% in the last week (Osservatorio Epidemiologico Regionale data).

Update: Week 3

Last Friday the '1500' swine flu telephone number has been discontinued. The Ministry of Health has said that in the last weeks it received very few calls, as the pandemic eased off. On the third week there have been recorded 96,000 new cases of flu, a bit more than on the previous week (82,000). The strain of the virus is unknown, it could be the A(H1N1) or another one. Meanwhile, the swine flu deaths have risen to 228. Almost half of them occured in South Italy, where live only a quarter of the Italians. The 82% of the people who died were in the at-risk group.

A mutated virus found in Italy

The swine flu has hit the headlines again. Many mass media reported about the mutated virus that was found in one patient out of 100 tested in Italy. According to the Ministry, there was also a case of antiviral resistance to oseltamivir among 160 tested patients. Actually, Italian media haven't reported about antiviral drugs at all, and still now they don't seem interested in this issue. The Italian health authorities keep suggesting that people get the swine flu vaccine, besides the seasonal one. Quite interestingly, the Italian Deputy Health Minister Ferruccio Fazio has said that the vaccination campaign could include also people over 65 years in the risk group, as it has been asked by WHO. In Italy elderly people have been excluded from the vaccine campaign, even though they are asthmatic, obese or affected by other risky desease.

A mutated flu virus in Norway

At least 68 flu-related deaths have been recorded by Italian Health Ministry, a high number in this time of year. Campania's health authority has reported 25 fatal cases, and it's the hardest hit region. The hospitalized cases have climbed to 489, while 241 people needed intensive care. Italian newspapers report today about a mutated version of the influenza virus, found in three patients in Norway, and this seems the most interesting thing of today. The Italian Deputy Health Minister, Professor  Ferruccio Fazio, is still inviting all the people at risk to get the vaccine shot. Today the newspapers cover also a story about a diet agains the flu. Black grapes, bananas, oranges and cauliflower can protect you, claims Fabio Firenzuoli, President of National Association of Phytotherapist Doctors. Also peppers work, if they are in different colours.

Poll: Swine flu worries Italians

People are worried about the swine flu and its complications. They don't trust health authorities and don't believe the vaccine is safe. According to a poll of La Repubblica, 57% of people are very or quite worried about the new virus. The majority, 54%, expect to become ill. A lot of people, 60%, will consult the family doctor in case of fever, while a quarter (25%) will rush to the hospital and 15% will stay home without asking anyone. A large 60% are very or quite worried about complications, 31% a little worried, 7% not worried. About what to do in case of catching the swine flu, only 10% feel to be well informed, 26% quite informed, 32% a bit, 31% don't have any instructions. A staggering 56% are against vaccination, 33% are positive, and 11% don't know what to do. The majority (51%) think that the vaccine is not safe, not tested and can be dangerous, 27% think it's safe. 41% think the government is telling the truth, while 42% no.
There are at least three problems about communication during the swine flu pandemic. First, it looks like communication involved the general public and not only the high risk group. Even worse, it  must have been confusing. So, a lot of people (60%) feel unnecessary anxiety about severe complications. Secondly, many people (63%) are insure about what to do, and this is another failure of the communication process. Last, the flu vaccine is quite unpopular, even though each year in Italt the seasonal vaccination campaign takes place.
The poll is up-to-date, because people have been asked on November 3.

New strain, old problem

It's becoming clear that many troubles caused by the pandemic in Italy are actually old problems of the national primary care service. For example, many local doctors don't know what to do, as Corriere della Sera has reported. They haven't been informed very well, but this lack of communication and technical updates from health authorities is often true for other illness.
Another problem is that it's difficult to ask advice to local doctors, even by phone call. So people rush to the emergency room (again Corriere della Sera). But this is a common occurrence in Italy, where it's hard to get a home visit by doctors.
And there's so much difference in flu vaccine campaign in the country, because each regional government has a different approach with a wide range of efficiency. If the strain of the flu virus is  new, the problems look old.

Death toll rises in Naples

Other two fatal cases of swine flu occurred in Naples, Corriere del Mezzogiorno reports. A 42 years old, overweight woman died today at Cotugno Hospital, while a 72 years old woman, with respiratory disease died yesterday at Cardarelli Hospital. So the death toll in Naples has risen to 8. Italian newspapers are reporting all the deaths caused by the H1N1 virus, and maybe this can be alarming for the general public. The Deputy Minister of Health Ferruccio Fazio keeps assuring that all the people who died were already ill, and that healthy people should not worry. Another big issue is the vaccine campaign: in the past days Professor Fazio has blamed on local authorities for the delays in the vaccine distribution, while praising the producer, Novartis, for having sent the first batch of two million doses in advance of a fortnight.

Quite surprisingly, nobody talks about antiviral drugs. Maybe this is good luck for the Ministry. According to a study, "the antivirals stockpiled in Italy are sufficient to treat only 7 million individuals, corresponding to the 12% of the population."