The wave of influenza K is hitting Italy from North to South, risking bringing the national health system closer to breaking point. The exponential increase in pneumonia cases and emergency room admissions has caused critical overcrowding: in many facilities, patients are cared for on stretchers in the corridors due to a lack of beds. According to the latest data from the first week of 2026, the peak appears to be imminent, with new weekly cases standing at 802,879. The total seasonal infections have exceeded 7.5 million, while the national incidence is 14.07 cases per thousand assisted. Now. However, a further increase is expected due to the return to school and work after the holidays.
Three regions above the national average
Three regions significantly exceed the national average for spread of the virus. These are Campania, with 20.52 cases per thousand assisted, Sicily (19.41 cases per thousand assisted) and Marche (18.52 cases per thousand assisted). In Sicily the situation was defined as “serious”, with hospital overcrowding exceeding 350%. The crisis is fueled by the combination of high spread of the virus and low adherence to the vaccination campaign. In Campania there is strong pressure on 118 and on hospitals. At Cardarelli in Naples, hospitalizations increased by 25%; approximately 30% of hospitalized patients have viral pneumonia. In Lombardy, access to emergency rooms is constantly growing (over 6 thousand in the last week).
Children and over 70s are the most affected groups
The most affected groups are children (0-9 years) and those over 70. Over 2,200 cases of pneumonia were recorded between 22 and 28 December alone. In Rome there are an estimated 50 thousand people in bed. Unlike other regions, here the incidence among the elderly is low thanks to the excellent response to the vaccination campaign (1.2 million doses). The emergency mainly concerns the pediatric range (0-4 years). Mario Balzanelli, president of 118, reported an unprecedented load of requests to the operations centers. The invitation to citizens is not to clog the emergency lines and to turn, where possible, to general practitioners for the management of symptoms which, although long (up to 20 days), can often be treated at home.
