“…The dynamics of COVID-19 have been heterogeneous across countries, with several differences in incidence, infection, and mortality rates both spatially and temporally between distinct epidemic waves [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Much of this variation has been correlated with containment measures, socioeconomic status, population structure and density, healthcare system responses, and most recently, vaccine acceptance and efficiency [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. In Italy, different lethality rates have been observed across different areas of the country from the early days of the first outbreak.…”