The median age of people infected with COVID-19 in Italy fell last week to 28, a record low, according to data released on Friday by national health authorities.
The median ages of patients’ first admission to hospital and entrance to intensive care units also fell to 50 and 63 years respectively, according to the data for the week starting July 5. The median age of deaths, however, was stable at 73.
“A lower age of those infected is due to the fact that older people have been vaccinated in greater numbers and earlier and are therefore better protected,” said Gianni Rezza, director general at the Ministry of Health.
Other European countries have reported the latest wave of coronavirus infections being driven by younger, unvaccinated adults.
The weekly monitoring results in Italy showed an increase in the number of cases and in the rate of epidemic risk, but at the same time a steady decrease in the occupancy rate of intensive care units and hospital admissions.
Italy reported 11 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday against nine the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 2,898 from 2,455.
Italy has registered 127,851 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eight-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.28 million cases to date.
Patients in hospital with COVID-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 1,088 on Friday, edging down from 1,089 a day earlier.
There were 13 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 11 on Thursday. The total number of intensive care patients rose to 161 from a previous 153.
Some 205,602 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 190,922, the health ministry said.
Photo: Tourists back dropped by the Cathedral in the historic center of Palermo, Sicily island, southern Italy. EPA-EFE/Igor Petyx
