UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – The ninth wave of the coronavirus is here, with a weekly increase in the number of infections reaching 40%. France is experiencing an earlier recovery than last year over the same period.
The “triple epidemic” that France is facing, with the simultaneous spread of Covid, bronchiolitis and influenza, is “completely unprecedented” and its evolution is still difficult to predict, Public Health France underlined on Friday. The flu hits the metropolis early, contributing to a rapidly rising covid and infant bronchiolitis at record levels for more than 10 years. This situation hits a health system that has already been tested, as in other countries, especially in the United States.
Ninth wave of Covid-19
The Covid-19 epidemic, which experienced a brief lull in France after a wave in early autumn, is picking up speed again. On Friday, November 28, 48,629 new cases were registered, compared to 33,177 the previous Friday, an increase of 46%. At the same time in 2021, the number of cases was just under 40,000.
More than a thousand patients are now being hospitalized every day for Covid-19, compared with just over 800 on the same day last year. The resumption of the epidemic therefore occurred earlier this year.
The current recovery is already reflected in an “upward recovery in new hospitalizations and ICU admissions” after “four weeks of decline”, Public Health France observes in its latest weekly update. More than 4,500 hospital admissions have been registered in the last seven days. The increase affects all mainland and overseas regions and all age groups.
Fragile individuals called for re-vaccination
Government spokesman Olivier Véran on Thursday urged elderly or ill French people again to be reminded of the Covid-19 vaccine, regretting that “only 20%” of them are “up to date” amid the resumption of the Covid-19 epidemic . 19 and flu. “If you are 60 years or older, if you are a carrier of a disease or if you are in daily contact with the frail or elderly, get vaccinated against Covid if you are not up to date with your recall,” he said Minister on RMC-BFMTV.
Also readCovid-19: Olivier Véran calls on frail people to get vaccinated again
“It lasts 5 minutes and it will protect you, it will limit the risk of complications and hospitalization,” he added, referring to the delay for the second booster dose against Covid-19. “People who are young and who have been or have been exposed to (Covid-19) who have been vaccinated retain stronger immunity than older people,” the former health minister reminded.
90% of the world population immune to Covid-19
At least 90% of the world’s population has some form of immunity to Covid-19, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, while warning of dwindling vigilance.
This drop in vigilance leaves the door open for the emergence of a new variant that will likely spread and displace the currently dominant Omicron variant, Tedros pointed out during a press conference.
“According to WHO estimates, at least 90% of the world’s population currently has some form of immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, either through previous infection or vaccination,” he added, referring to that for the Covid-19 pandemic responsible virus. The WHO chief warned against the temptation to hastily claim that the nascent phase of the pandemic is over. “We’re not there yet,” he said.
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