After a lull of a few weeks, the incidence rate of Covid-19 contamination is rising throughout France, raising fears of a ninth wave of the epidemic for the end-of-year holidays.
- More than 40,000 positive cases were recorded every day last week, an increase of 46% in one week, according to Covidtracker.
- The public health agency confirms that the Omicron variant “circulates almost exclusively in France” and that “its BA.5 sub-lineage remains ubiquitous”.
After an eighth wave recorded in early fall, the lights seem to be turning red again. Several specialists fear a ninth wave in a context where hospitals are already under tension with the bronchiolitis epidemic which is currently affecting children under 2 years old.
“The ninth wave of Covid-19 is here“, thus affirms to our colleagues from Parisian epidemiologist Mahmoud Zureik, who predicts “at least 50,000 daily cases on average“within a few days. If he stays”difficult to estimate its exact impact”the specialist believes that we have never been in “such an unfavorable situation since March 2021“. Why Doctor takes stock of the situation.
Coronavirus: +9% critical care hospitalizations in one week
“In week 46 (from November 14 to 20) all the virological indicators showed a resumption of the circulation of Sars-CoV-2, and this in all age groups”, public health alert France (SPF) in his position published on November 25. “The incidence and positivity rates calculated from the antigen tests alone as well as those calculated from all the tests combined have increased.”
The public health agency confirms that the Omicron variant “circulates almost exclusively in France” and “his BA.5 sub-lineage remains ubiquitous”. 4,210 new hospitalizations were recorded for week 46, an increase of 6%, including 386 patients admitted to critical care (i.e. +9%). “The number of deaths in hospital and in ESMS continued to decrease (351, i.e. -6%, unconsolidated data), but less markedly compared to previous weeks.”
According to the website Covidtracker, more than 40,000 positive cases were recorded every day last week, an increase of 46% in one week. A peak of 48,629 positive cases was reached last Friday.
Anti-Covid vaccine: insufficient coverage among those most at risk
“Vaccination in eligible people should be reinforced”, insists Public Health France. As of November 21,6.1% of those aged 60-79 and 7.9% of those aged 80 and over had received a booster adapted to the Omicron variant”.
The new vaccine booster campaign to fight against Sars-CoV-2 started in early October. This booster is recommended for the most fragile and in particular three months after the last injection received by people aged 80 and over, people living in nursing homes and immunocompromised individuals. Pregnant women are also invited to make this reminder. In addition, other people can receive a new booster dose from six months after the last injection. In case of recent infection with the coronavirus, it is necessary to wait three more months before making the injection.
SPF concludes by recalling the importance of barrier gestures “in a context of co-circulation of winter viruses”, such as the systematic wearing of a mask in the presence of fragile people or in the event of crowding in closed spaces (public transport, etc.) and regular hand washing.