Scientific experts hammer it again: France is indeed confronted with a new wave. If the impact of the epidemic on hospital services remains low at this stage, viral circulation is strong with a reproduction rate of 1.4. The incidence rate doubled in one week on almost the entire metropolitan territory and in all age groups of the population.
In question ? New variants by Omicron which will soon be dominant: the BA.4 and above all the BA.5. South Africa and then Portugal were the first countries affected. Now the wave is affecting Western Europe.This variant is not more severe according to specialists but very transmissible. Above all, it has the particularity of linger in the air for a long time.
If we had tended to forget the Covid, the messages hammered out in recent days again encourage greater vigilance. After the Minister of Health, Brigitte Bourguignon, the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, asked the French to wash your hands frequently, ventilate closed spaces regularly, wear a mask in crowded places, closed spaces and in particular on public transport during busy periods, and also to test at the first symptoms and self-isolate immediately if positive.
Will the 7th wave ruin our summer?
RTL asked the question to Jean-Francois Delfraissythe president of the Scientific Council, this Thursday, June 30. “If I look at what happened last year, where we were in a Delta wave at the same time, the peak was around the end of July and then there was a second peak in October and November . We expect somewhat the same thing for the BA.5, that is a peak forecast for the end of July, he explained. Next, it will surely calm down, then it will reappear if it is not dominated by another variant.”
Regarding this summer, the scientist is rather reassuring: “this not spoil the summer because we are vaccinated”. But what is important according to him is not the infection, but “the impact on the healthcare system“ while this one is already “tired”. “Onot expects 1,500 hospitalizations per day in a few weeks at the time of the peak”.
A situation which, according to him, should be contained, provided that eligible people take their 4th booster dose and that everyone is responsible, in particular by wearing a mask in transport and crowded places.
As for the start of the school year, we are moving towards the same scenario as last year. “He there will be new variants from autumn. The problem is whether we will have BA.5 again in the fall or whether we will have another new variant”.
Read also:
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