Il Covid with its numerous variations returns to race in Italy, Europe and the rest of the world causing a new boom in infections.
Among the main causes is the spread of Pirola variant (BA.2.86), which together with its “family” is “constantly increasing” globally.
This was reported by theOms (World Health Organization), which also warned countries against other very contagious variants such as Eris (EG.5), HV.1 and the new variant JN.1 – 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 virus Sars-Cov-2and as the holidays approach, experts are expecting a new one peak of infections. Not to mention that positive cases may not be immediately detected due to the wide range of symptomswhich change depending on the variant.
So what are the differences between the variants and how to recognize them? What are the symptoms? It is advisable to dispel any doubts in this regard by comparing the variants Eris, Pirola, HV.1 e JN.1. Below is everything you need to know about variations of the Covid-19 and how to protect the most vulnerable sections of the population.
Covid, boom in infections: the risks
Positive cases of Covid are increasing and were only recorded in the week from 7 to 13 December 56,404 new cases. 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 Natale e New Year’s. A peak that could lead Italy to record around “400-500 deaths per week due to Covid”.
The virologist said it 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 to worry them. Trevor Bedfordprofessor in the division of vaccines and infectious diseases at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center explained that no single variant had a significant impact but theaccumulation of these mutations overall it is having a significant impact on the lives of citizens.
Covid, variants compared: the symptoms of Eris, HV.1, Pirola and JN.1
In front of a mosaic of variations which are spreading extremely rapidly, it is important to know the differences between Covid variants, what the symptoms are, incubation times and much more. Let’s look at the variations one by one.
1) Eris
The symptoms of Eris (EG.5) are not very different from the variants 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 variant Hv.1according to data collected by experts, would generally cause same symptoms as Omicron o 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 the variant passed in the United States Eris (EG.5) e Furnace (FL.1.5.1); according to experts HV.1 remember the variant Delta and could soon become the dominant lineage in the US. 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.
3) Pirola
There are numerous symptoms of the variant BA.2.86. Pirola immediately attracted the attention of experts due to his high mutationsabout thirty, in the Spike protein, making this variant potentially more contagious and destined to become the dominant 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 symptoms related to gola. 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 those positive for the JN.1 variant have:
- sore throat (burning or pain) even in the absence of fever;
- pharyngitis persistent;
- 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
The people that result positive to a molecular or antigenic swab – once again mandatory in hospitals and RSAs – 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 one surgical mask or FFP2 if you come into contact with other people;
- Avoid crowded environments;
- If it is symptomatic stay at home until the symptoms end;
- 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.
2023-12-17 10:46:00
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