Covid, with its numerous variants, is making a comeback in Italy, Europe and the rest of the world, causing a new boom in infections.
Among the main causes is the spread of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86), which together with its "family" is "constantly increasing" globally.
This was reported by the WHO (World Health Organization), which also warned countries against other very contagious variants such as Eris (EG.5), HV.1 and the new JN.1 variant – direct descendant of Pirola and last in chronological order to have been identified.
We are faced with a complex "mosaic" of the evolution of the Sars-Cov-2 virus, and as the holidays approach, experts expect a new peak in infections.
Not to mention that positive cases may not be immediately identified due to the wide range of symptoms, which change depending on the variant.
So what are the differences between the variants and how to recognize them? What are the symptoms? It is appropriate to dispel any doubts in this regard by comparing the Eris, Pirola, HV.1 and JN.1 variants.
Below is everything you need to know about the Covid-19 variants and how to protect the most fragile sections of the population.
read also Mandatory masks, where and when Covid, boom in infections: the risks Positive Covid cases are increasing and in the week from 7 to 13 December alone, 56,404 new cases were recorded.
And with the holidays the count can only get worse.
Experts, in fact, have estimated that the peak of infections should occur during the holidays between Christmas and New Year.
A peak that could lead Italy to record around "400-500 deaths per week due to Covid".
This was said by the virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, medical director of the Irccs Galeazzi Sant'Ambrogio hospital in Milan.
We are now faced with a virus that mutates every 4-5 months, becoming increasingly contagious and dodging the immune defenses.
But what worries experts around the world is not so much the risk related to a single variant, rather it is the rapid rate of evolution of the virus that worries them.
Trevor Bedford, professor in the division of vaccines and infectious diseases at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center explained that no single variant has had a significant impact but the accumulation of these mutations overall is having a significant impact on the lives of citizens.
Covid, variants compared: the symptoms of Eris, HV.1, Pirola and JN.1 Faced with a mosaic of variants that are spreading extremely rapidly, it is important to know the differences between the Covid variants, what the symptoms are, the timing incubation and much more.
Let's examine the variations one by one.
1) Eris The symptoms of Eris (EG.5) are not very different from the variants that we will see, yet in recent weeks dissimilar forms of infection have been reported, especially regarding the duration of the fever, which in some patients lasted for days and in others only a few hours.
Among the most common symptoms we find: high fever; cough; fatigue; a runny nose; heachache; muscle pain.
2) HV.1 The Hv.1 variant, according to data collected by experts, would generally cause the same symptoms as Omicron or Pirola.
Characterized by high contagiousness, the variant in just two weeks in September had gone from 7% to 12.9% and to date the growth does not seem destined to stop.
Within a few days in the United States the variant surpassed Eris (EG.5) and Fornax (FL.1.5.1); according to experts, HV.1 resembles the Delta variant and could soon become the dominant lineage in the USA.
The symptoms are: fever and chills; cough; tiredness; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; muscular pain; heachache; loss of taste; loss of smell; nasal congestion; diarrhea.
read also Covid or flu, the symptoms: doctors' advice to avoid contagion 3) Pirola There are numerous symptoms of the BA.2.86 variant.
Pirola immediately attracted the attention of experts due to the high mutations, around thirty, in the Spike protein, making this variant potentially more contagious and destined to become the dominant one in Italy and the rest of Europe.
A comprehensive list of symptoms to look out for has been published: persistent cough; high temperature; fever and chills; loss or change in your normal sense of taste or smell; shortness of breath; sudden tiredness; lack of energy; muscle aches or pains not due to exercise; lack of appetite; unusual or longer-lasting headache; sore throat; stuffy or runny nose; diarrhea; widespread malaise.
4) JN.1 Direct descendant of Pisola, JN.1 is under the magnifying glass of experts.
JN.1 appears to occur in patients primarily with throat-related symptoms.
In addition to paying more attention to the symptoms related to the oropharyngeal tract, it is also good to pay attention to the traditional symptoms.
Mainly subjects positive for the JN.1 variant present: sore throat (burning or pain) even in the absence of fever; persistent pharyngitis; nasal congestion; persistent cough; heachache; fever; exhaustion; rare "loss of taste and/or smell" rare "shortness of breath" Covid variants: what to do if positive and how to protect yourself People who test positive to a molecular or antigenic swab – once again mandatory in hospitals and RSA – are no longer obliged to carry out a period of isolation.
However, there are some recommendations that the ministry has to respect to prevent the transmission of respiratory infections such as: Wear a surgical or FFP2 mask if you come into contact with other people; Avoid crowded environments; If you are symptomatic, stay home until your symptoms subside; Inform the people you have been in contact with in the days before the swab, especially if they are elderly, frail or immunosuppressed; Contact your doctor if you fall into the most at-risk categories or if the symptoms do not ease; Pay careful attention to hand hygiene; – Avoid contact with fragile, immunosuppressed people, pregnant women, and going to hospitals or RSAs.
read also Can we go out with Covid? The updated rules
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