COVID Variants 2024: What’s Present in Italy and Which Are the Most Dangerous?

Covid Variants 2024: Current Epidemiological Situation in Italy

The epidemiological landscape regarding Covid-19 in Italy remains stable, yet as autumn unfolds, experts emphasize the importance of vigilance.
They urge the most vulnerable population segments to get vaccinated.
The latest report indicates 8,490 new Covid cases recorded between September 12 and 18, a slight decrease from the previous week’s 9,670 cases.

Sadly, fatalities continue to be reported, with 93 deaths compared to 97 the preceding week.
With the virus now categorized as endemic, the nation coexists with the Sars-Cov-2 virus following the declaration of the pandemic’s end.
The hope is to avoid the emergence of aggressive variants.

Individuals over the age of 80 remain the most affected demographic, accounting for the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths.
Fortunately, area medical bed occupancy is below 3%, indicating that the current situation is not critical in Italy.

What to Expect During the Winter Season?

As winter approaches and new Covid variants emerge, the authorities have specified that there are no immediate alarming symptoms associated with these variants.
However, vaccinations utilizing the latest formulations are strongly recommended for the more vulnerable populations.

Historical Context of Covid

The narrative of Covid-19 is well-known.
Initially, the world was caught unprepared, only to face a second wave fueled by the Delta variant that resulted in increased cases and mortality.
As of now, the virus has claimed over 7 million lives globally.

What helped mitigate the pandemic was the Omicron variant, which, despite being more transmissible, was less severe than Delta.
Omicron quickly became the predominant strain and, aided by vaccination, allowed us to transition to an endemic phase of this virus.

Since then, the landscape has seen a succession of variants and sub-variants, varying in severity.
Recent data from Italy show an evolving situation, particularly as it relates to developments in the rest of Europe.

Current Variant Situation

Currently, the dominant variant in Italy is JN.1, although this may soon shift.
Just a year ago, the XBB variant was prevalent, only to be succeeded by JN.1, arising from BA.2.86.
Fortunately, all these variants stem from Omicron.

Alongside JN.1, several sub-variants are circulating, including KP.2, LB.1, KP.3, and KP.3.1.1.
The latest available vaccine has been updated to address these variants.
However, experts predict that the XEC sub-lineage may soon become predominant across Europe.

Monitoring the New Variant

According to preliminary data from mid-September 2024, various sub-variants of JN.1 are co-circulating at an international level, particularly with an increase in the proportion of KP.3.1.1, which is under surveillance.
Additionally, some sequences associated with the recombinant sub-lineage XEC have been identified in several European countries.

The XEC variant was first detected in Germany and has since spread to ten other European nations, including Italy.
Symptoms reported for these variants are consistent with previous strains: cough, cold, fever, and loss of appetite.

The ECDC anticipates that XEC may exhibit similar characteristics to currently circulating variants without altering the severity of infection or the vaccine’s efficacy against severe illness.
If predictions hold true, XEC could soon become the dominant variant in Italy, but maintaining vigilance among at-risk populations will be crucial for managing public health effectively.