Italy - Eleven deaths from pneumonia in a week in Santena, Turin

[tetano]

A small town, just over ten thousand inhabitants, and a number of deaths that in seven days seemed unsustainable. This is what is happening in Santena, on the outskirts of Turin, where eleven deaths were recorded between 16 and 22 August, almost all from serious respiratory problems attributable to forms of pneumonia. Most of the victims were over eighty years old, but among them there are also two younger people, aged 68 and 72.

Four of the eleven deaths occurred in a nursing home, fueling concerns among residents. In a small community, where every mourning is reflected on the entire country, the close sequence has created dismay and fear. The bells rang too often for death, the funeral bulletin boards no longer had space for posters, the evening rosaries in the parish remembered several people together, in scenes that for many brought back memories of the hardest days of the pandemic.

https://www.giornalelavoce.it/news/cronaca/620563/undici-morti-in-una-settimana-tra-polmoniti-e-i-timori-crescono-cosa-succede-a-santena.html

[marco.serale]

Based on the provided information, I have contacted the director of the Prevention Department for the area.

After a review and after consulting with the directors of the two local nursing homes, there is currently no evidence of abnormal mortality rates in Santena. All data is consistent with normal mortality for this time of year, particularly following the recent heatwave.

This information suggests that the reported increase in deaths, while tragic, is not a statistical anomaly. The deaths, including those in the nursing homes, appear to be within the expected range for the population given the recent extreme heat.