Italy records 192,994 coronavirus infections, death toll at 25,969

In another sign of encouragement and hope, Italy reported 420 new deaths related to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the smallest daily increase since March 18, fresh figures showed on Friday.

The new deaths raised the nationwide fatalities to 25,969 since the pandemic first broke out in northern Italy on Feb. 21, according to figures from the country's Civil Protection Department.

Total active infections stood at 106,527, down by 321 cases compared to the previous day, according to the latest data published in a bulletin. This is the fifth consecutive daily drop in the number of active infections in Italy.

The total number of confirmed cases -- combining active infections, fatalities and recoveries -- rose to 192,994, a daily increase of 3,021 against Thursday.

There were 2,922 more recoveries compared to Thursday, bringing the nationwide totals 60,498.

Of those infected, 2,173 are in intensive care -- down by 94 compared to Thursday, and 22,068 are hospitalized in normal wards -- down by 803. The rest 82,286 people, or 77 percent of those who tested positive, are in isolation at home.

According to data released by Italy's National Health Institute (ISS), those positive to the virus included at least 19,942 health professionals -- doctors, nurses, and other staff.

A total of 150 doctors had succumbed to the disease, according to the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO).

IMPROVING

ISS President Silvio Brusaferro told a press conference on Friday that "the epidemiological situation has clearly improved."

He explained this was proved by latest trends, which confirmed the number of COVID-19 symptomatic patients was dropping, while those of asymptomatic patients and of patients with mild underlying health issues were on the rise (within the total number of infected people).

Critical patients were also declining, as showed by the consecutive drops in the number of people hospitalized in normal wards and in intensive care units.

"Many clusters (of infection) are still registered in nursing facilities for elderly or disable people (RSA, in its Italian acronym), and at family level," Brusaferro also explained.

Looking at the data analyzed by the ISS, updated to April 24, the median age of COVID-19 patients in Italy was 62 years, with women making 51.7 percent and men 48.3 percent of all cases assessed.

The overall "case fatality rate" of COVID-19 in Italy was currently 12.9 percent, with the highest number of deaths among patients aged 80-89 (40.5 percent of all fatalities), and among those aged 70-79 (29.5 percent), followed by people aged 90 and more (14.1 percent).

Among the deceased, men represented the majority (63.3 percent), and the average age of the victims was 79 years among men, and 84 years among women, the latest data showed.

BEFORE OFFICIAL DATE?

Speaking after the ISS president, an expert with Italy's research institute Fondazione, Bruno Kessler, explained that the pandemic was now believed to have spread in the country well before the official date of Feb. 21.

This was true especially for the northern Italian region of Lombardy -- whose regional capital is Milan -- the country's worst hit region by large.

"Carrying out retrospective analyses, we have realized there were many people who got infected in Lombardy well before Feb. 20," Kessler's researcher Stefano Merler told the press conference.

"As such, the real epidemic here -- considering the symptom onset -- has started much before that, in January for sure, and perhaps even earlier," he stressed.

A national lockdown, imposed by Italy's government since March 10, is set to expire on May 3.

It will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two" of the emergency, which would see a gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities, and an easing of restrictive measures on people's movements.