The alert comes from the British public health authorities (National Health Service) which recommends that the populations be careful and attentive to the appearance of gastric symptoms. Doctors are wondering since it is not the season for gastroenteritis …
In France, the Delta variant is on the rise and contaminations are more and more important, like the Landes where the variant represents more than 40% of contaminations. “For five days, the virus has not declined, it has increased again because of the Delta variant which is very contagious […] The English example shows that a fourth wave is possible from the end of July “ deplored the Minister of Health Olivier Véran on Sunday, July 4, during a trip to the Solidays festival organized for caregivers.
Digestive problems to consider as an infection
Several doctors are worried about the high level of emergency room visits or calls to SOS Médecins for acute gastroenteritis. This is what asserts to Yahoo Health Doctor Clarisse Audigier-Valette, head of the Covid unit at the Toulon hospital center (Var) “Unlike a runny nose or a sore throat, we have indicators for gastroenteritis, via calls to SOS doctors or emergency room visits. However, this is one of the first symptoms of Covid, which must be used to assess the circulation of the epidemic in the population “.
Other doctors on Twitter easily established a link between the spread of the variant in certain regions and emergency room visits for gastroenteritis in the same areas. “It’s not the season for gastroenteritis“, Worries Dr. Audigier-Valette “So if we have digestive problems, this should alert us to a possible Covid contamination. If in addition you are tired, that you have a little fever, or that you have had behaviors at risk of contagion or that people that you have known also have the signs of gastro, you must go to get tested “.
The prevalence of the variant is confirmed
“The proportion of the Delta variant detected among the diagnosed cases was increasing strongly, with territorial heterogeneity”, comment Public Health France in their last situation update (from June 28 to July 04). By analyzing their figures, we can see that out of 10,198 RT-PCR and antigen tests, 48% of all positive SARS-CoV-2 tests relate to the Delta variant (43% of tests). Comparing with the previous week, the Delta variant was detected in 21% of positive screens.
