Will the Covid-19 come to spoil the end of the year celebrations? In any case, with the spread of the new BQ.1.1 variant, the virus He has not said his last word: the resumption of the epidemic throughout France has been confirmed in recent days.
“Covid, we will listen to it for years,” insisted Patrick Pelloux, president of the French Association of Emergency Physicians, a guest on BFMTV this Friday.
A wave earlier than in 2021
Since November 1, France has shown a constant increase in the number of new contaminations: more than 47,930 cases have been registered in the last seven days, according to the latest data from November 28, an increase of almost 40% in a week, as shown in our visualization below.
“This wave predates the one last fall” carried by the Delta variant, epidemiologist Antoine Flahault noted Tuesday on BFMTV.
In fact, in the same period last year, the number of new contaminations was significantly lower, with 30,034 positive cases registered daily for the last seven days until November 28, 2021.
Hospitalizations at a critical time
This new outbreak has direct consequences on the hospital system. In fact, currently the increase in contamination is compounded by an increase in the number of hospitalizations: on average, more than 1,000 patients with Covid-19 are admitted to the hospital every day.
This resumption of the epidemic comes at a critical time for French hospitals. At present, France is affected by the most important bronchiolitis flare of the last ten years – and is facing an epidemic of seasonal flu virulent.
“We are in a very particular conjunction with epidemics of bronchiolitis, influenza and Covid, not to mention the circulation of other winter viruses”, warns the infectologist Benjamin Davido, a Covid-19 reference at the Raymond-Hospital Poincaré de Garches, in the Hauts -de-Seine.
Still dozens of deaths every day
For the moment, this “ninth wave” of the epidemic is not causing a rebound in serious cases: on average, just over 92 patients with Covid-19 are admitted to intensive care each day, a lower number than those registered in the same time. in 2020 and 2021.
Covid-19 continues to kill, with an average of 64 hospital deaths each day, a level close to last year at this point. In total, since the start of the epidemic in March 2020, nearly 130,000 hospital deaths have been recorded.
For some experts, it is still possible to reverse the trend and considerably slow the spread of the epidemic in France. “In a month, we can crush a rising wave” but for that we must “resume the habits of social distancing,” Philippe Amouyel, an epidemiologist and professor of public health at Lille University Hospital, told BFMTV.com.
Statements supported by Patrick Pelloux this Friday on BFMTV, who in the meantime called for the reinstatement of the mask obligation in transport for the winter.
“Someone who coughs on the train, on the plane, on the train, contaminates the whole car,” said the president of the Association of Emergency Physicians.
An impeachment campaign struggling to convince
In addition to barrier gestures, vaccination remains an advantage to limit the consequences of the virus in France. Since October 3, the health authorities have launched a new withdrawal campaign with the so-called “bivalent” vaccines, made with the initial strain of the virus combined with the Omicron strain.
If the campaign is aimed at frail people and people over 60 years of age, it is also aimed at “people who live in the environment or in regular contact with immunosuppressed or vulnerable people”, as specified in a circular from the General Directorate of Health dated 21 November that BFMTV was able to consult.
But it’s still struggling to convince, with only about 10% of older people, most at risk of developing severe forms, vaccinated so far.
A guest on BFMTV this Thursday, government spokesman Olivier Véran called on the elderly or sick French people to give a new reminder of the Covid-19 vaccine. Former Minister of Health He also regretted that “only 20%” of them are “up to date”.
Source: BFM TV
