COVID-19 in Italy
Current COVID-19 activity in Italy, based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data, set against the parallel flu and RSV trajectories.
This page tracks how much COVID-19 is circulating, not symptoms or diagnosis.
Influenza: Low
Low
The source currently reports no meaningful activity (as of 16 Aug 2026).
Data window: Week 33 · Aug 10 – Aug 16 · Source: ECDC (weekly) · Source on seasonal break, next data from week 40
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View the last 8 weeks
In week 33 of 2026, Influenza activity in Italy is classified as low.
The source reports no meaningful activity across these weeks; a week-over-week percentage would be pure noise here.
The last 8 reported weeks
| Week | Relative | Level | vs prior week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 33 | – | Low | – |
| Week 32 | – | Low | – |
| Week 31 | – | Low | – |
| Week 30 | – | Low | – |
| Week 29 | – | Low | – |
| Week 28 | – | Low | – |
| Week 27 | – | Low | – |
| Week 26 | – | Low | – |
Across these weeks the source reports no meaningful activity, the values sit at the floor of its scale.
Current activity
- InfluenzaLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
- COVID-19LowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
- RSVLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
What this means
In week 33 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in Italy is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable. Activity has barely shifted over the past few weeks.
Data, context and methodology
The current picture for Italy is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). RespiVirNet (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS) is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities, in Italy's case RespiVirNet (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS), submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
RespiVirNet (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS) operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone: consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Source and seasonal pattern by pathogen
- Influenza
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on data from Italy's RespiVirNet sentinel surveillance system run by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). Seasonally, infection waves in Italy typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months.
- COVID-19
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 indicators from Italy's RespiVirNet sentinel surveillance system run by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). Seasonally, infection waves in Italy typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves.
- RSV
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on RSV indicators from Italy's RespiVirNet sentinel surveillance system run by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). Seasonally, infection waves in Italy typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer.
Frequently asked questions
How is COVID-19 monitored in Italy today?
COVID-19 in Italy is now tracked within the RespiVirNet integrated respiratory-virus surveillance run by ISS. Indicators include sentinel primary-care consultations, hospital and ICU admissions for severe acute respiratory infection, virological positivity, and variant characterisation by reference laboratories. Weekly bulletins are published nationally, and Italian data also feeds the ECDC ERVISS dashboard.
Is COVID-19 still a serious concern in Italy?
COVID-19 is now endemic in Italy and continues to cause hospitalisations and deaths each winter, concentrated in older adults and people with weakened immune systems. For most vaccinated adults with prior infections, current variants tend to cause an illness similar to a bad cold or flu. Long COVID is followed through dedicated studies, and risk is managed via targeted booster campaigns rather than population-wide restrictions.
When do COVID-19 waves happen in Italy?
COVID-19 in Italy has not settled into a strictly seasonal rhythm. A winter wave overlapping with flu and RSV has been the most consistent pattern, but summer and spring waves have recurred whenever a new variant with an immune-escape advantage has emerged. Variant surveillance by ISS is therefore watched alongside hospitalisations for early signs of a resurgence.
Who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster in Italy?
Italy runs autumn COVID-19 booster campaigns advised by the national immunisation technical group, typically targeting adults aged 60 or 65 and over, people with comorbidities, pregnant women, residents of long-term care facilities, and healthcare and social-care workers. Eligibility is reviewed each season by the Ministero della Salute, and uptake is reported alongside flu coverage through ISS and regional authorities.
Are new variants still being tracked in Italy?
Yes. ISS coordinates routine sequencing through a national network of reference laboratories, detecting new sublineages and their relative growth. Most emerging variants cause illness broadly comparable to their predecessors, but lineages with clear immune escape can drive faster, larger waves. Variant trends are reported in RespiVirNet bulletins and shared via ECDC ERVISS.
More situation reports
Data last refreshed: Aug 31, 2026, 11:10. Update cadence: weekly.
This page is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a healthcare professional. For specific symptoms, please contact a medical professional.
About this page
Published by Renderei Martin GmbH, Berlin. No commercial interest in individual health recommendations. The app is optionally monetised via a freemium subscription.
Content is based exclusively on the linked official surveillance publications. Medical statements are curated against the guidance of RKI, ECDC and WHO.
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