COVVI-19? He never left! Bad news, this summer, the virus has extended again, touching all ages and all regions, with a concentration of cases in île-de-France and Hauts-de-France.
In Cities Laboratories, the last national newsletter of the Pasteur Institute informs a “constant increase” of positive tests, 18.66% of positive detections in the last week of August 2025.
In its last weekly bulletin, published this Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Public Health France indicates an increase in emergency tickets in France due to suspicions of COVVI-19 infection. It is about 20 % among children under 15 and + 12 % between 15-74 years, during the week of August 25.
However, the reassuring virologists, the “additional risks” related to the greater circulation of the virus are particularly limited.
“The current situation is not comparable to what we observe at the beginning of the pandemic and is not surprising. Therefore, there is no fear of having,” explains Antonin Bal, deputy director of the virus virus of the virus of the National Reference Center (CNR) in Lyon.
The battle of the variants: XFG against NB.1.8.1
Additional cases, the fault of the variants? If last May it was the NB.1.8.1 variant who caught the attention of specialists in France, ultimately, is the XFG (belonging to the OMICRON family) that, in early September, is the most represented in the observed positivity rates.
“Note, however, that the increase in the XFG variant was probably greater in August than in July,” said Antonin Bal.
Until now, the symptoms of the new XFG variant are relatively similar to those previously observed for other variants: nose that flows, headache, muscle pain with rigidity and, more rarely, loss of flavor or smell.
“If the patient’s situation worsens at the respiratory level, it must be attentive and consult. There may be hospitalization if the anguish is significant,” concludes Antonin Bal.
The importance of vaccination
Another observation of the CNR: it seems that the COVVI-19 circulates more in spring and during the summer period. An element that already arose from past scientific conclusions, and now seems to be confirmed.
“Even if the progression of the virus arrived at the end of this year that in 2024, positivity rates are once stronger in this period,” added the virologist. However, seasonality has not been officially established.
Even if the risk of developing a serious or severe way of the COVVI-19 remains limited, the CNR, however, highlights the importance of monitoring vaccination for the most vulnerable (elderly, immunocompromised, HIV …). The next vaccination campaign has not yet been announced by health authorities.
Source: BFM TV
