Antoine Terrel
, modified at
2:09 p.m., November 15, 2021
The comeback of the Covid? On Europe 1, Pr Didier Pittet, epidemiologist and head of the infection control service at Geneva University Hospitals, reviews the epidemic rebound observed in France. He calls for continuing the vaccination effort and continuing to respect barrier gestures. INTERVIEW
Should we be worried about the rebound of contaminations in the country? Faced with a new increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, France reinstated new measures on Monday, including the wearing of compulsory masks in primary school throughout its territory. According to official figures, over the last seven days, the number of new cases has risen above the 10,000 on average. Invited Monday from Europe 1, Pr Didier Pittet, epidemiologist and head of the infection control service at the University Hospitals of Geneva, returned to the current epidemic situation and calls for a return to discipline on barrier gestures.
“In relation to vaccination coverage, France is among the countries which have made the best progress”, assures the specialist. But, he adds immediately, “this vaccination coverage is still insufficient to be able to stop the circulation of the virus or in any case to stop it in an extremely significant way”. “It stops it, but there is still a proportion of the population who have never been in contact with the virus and who could be infected or transmit it.”
Faced with the rebound of the epidemic, the importance of barrier gestures
Faced with this situation, what measures to adopt? “We must continue the vaccination efforts, including the booster dose which is very important”, recommends Didier Pittet, who also calls for “to return to the shortcomings in relation to barrier gestures”. “Some of the countries which are particularly suffering today had even lifted the barrier gestures, such as Germany, Austria, Holland”, recalls the epidemiologist.
But shouldn’t we go back to the system of free tests for all, to encourage as many people as possible to be tested? “Obviously, when the tests are free, it is even easier to promote large-scale tests,” admits the guest from Europe 1, although he understands that faced with the large number of “free tests of convenience” , “governments are a little reluctant”. But “it is clear that completely liberal and liberalized access to tests helps to understand and control the pandemic”, concludes Didier Pittet.
—
