The variant of the coronavirus identified for the first time in India has been renamed by the World Health Organization, it is the delta variant. The latter worries, because it is more contagious, but also more dangerous than the original strain. What is its progression in France?
9 to 10% of contaminations
It was at the end of the Council of Ministers that Gabriel Attal, the government spokesperson, took stock of the health situation in France. The coronavirus epidemic is being slowed down, in particular thanks to vaccination. Gabriel Attal asserts that “ the improvement is confirmed […] and the return to a normal life continues day by day », But that the French must continue to be careful. He clarified that the delta variant “ represents 9 to 10% of contaminations »On the territory of the Hexagon. By comparison, last week it accounted for between 2-4% of positive tests. In the Ile-de-France region, this rate rises to 13%. Also, other areas are the subject of special attention by the government. This is the case in the Landes, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, where “ the delta variant represents 70% of the positive cases detected “. It is the only French department that is above the alert threshold and in which an increase in the epidemic is observed. As a reminder, this threshold is reached when 50 cases of Covid-19 are confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants. The spokesperson also detailed that “ in Bas-Rhin, clusters have been detected, particularly in Strasbourg “.
Present in 62 countries
The delta variant is advancing in many countries around the world. Indeed, it is the majority in the United Kingdom and represents no less than 90% of contaminations. A total of 62 countries have been affected by the delta variant over the past four weeks. In Russia, 84% of Covid-19 cases correspond to the delta variant as well as 77% in Portugal. It has been found in 10% of infections in the United States. The youngest remain the most affected by the delta variant, especially those aged between 5 and 12 years as well as people aged between 18 and 24 years. In France, the High Authority for Health recently indicated that messenger RNA vaccines, such as the serum developed by the Pfizer laboratory or the vaccine designed by Moderna, limit the risk of hospitalization in the event of infection with the delta variant. Indeed, the efficiency is 75% after a first injection. It is 94% after the administration of the second dose, according to the first scientific data.
