The body remains cautious about the evolution of the epidemic situation and warns against the rapid growth of the new variant omicron BQ.1.1.
Le Monde with AFP
The health and anticipation committee of health risks (COVARS), which succeeded the scientific council, rendered its first opinion on Monday October 24. He evokes a new epidemic wave of Covid of “moderate intensity”, while remaining cautious for the continuation in the face of potential new variants.
“A pandemic rebound in France and Europe affects elderly subjects and remains for the moment of moderate intensity but with a dynamic to monitor”, affirms the covars, chaired by immunologist Brigitte Autran.
In its viewfinder in particular: the rapid and uncertain growth of the omicron subvariant Bq.1.1, detected in France in mid-September and which now represents 15 % of the viruses detected in mainland France, and almost half in island -de-France.
Whatever the case, the epidemic restart observed in France, as in a part of Europe, “does not seem to be due to the appearance of a new variant stricto sensu,” he said , but rather to a set of other factors (drop in collective immunity, climatic conditions favorable to the dissemination of the virus …).
“close to the epidemic peak”
According to the organizational organization, “the analysis of the growth rates of the various epidemiological indicators suggests that we could be very close to the epidemic peak”. But “these encouraging signals must be tempered” due to a “rapid growth in variant BQ.1.1 on the national territory”.
And if the epidemic wave that appeared in mid-September 2022 “has a less important direct hospital impact than the previous waves”, even before the start of winter “the hospital capacities remain amputated significantly”, alert he. Other winter infectious diseases such as flu, bronchiolitis or gastroenteritis could also affect the health system.
The Covars therefore recommends continuing the prevention and vaccination measures implemented against COVVID. Several levers must thus be “activated”: “vaccinating, promoting the wearing of masks, controlling air quality”, he advocates.