It’s still there and on the rise again! The autumns follow one another and are similar: since the pandemic, like every year around the same period, Covid-19 marks its return (without ever really leaving), and makes its comeback.
“An intensification of the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be beginning, the evolution of which will need to be monitored vigilantly over the coming weeks,” warns Public health France in its latest monitoring bulletin published this Thursday. Who is affected? And what measures are in place to avoid the epidemic?
On the rise for everyone, especially seniors
Sifting through the Covid data for the week of September 16 to 22, Public Health France observes that “all indicators for all ages were increasing in the city and in hospitals”. An increase “driven by adults and more particularly those aged 65 and over”. Thus, in this age group, “1,013 hospitalizations after going to the emergency room for Covid-19 or suspected Covid-19 were recorded”.
A sign of this general increase in contamination, the health agency notes “for the fourth consecutive week” an increase in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. And the positivity rate of samples taken in the city was 29.0% for that week, compared to 24.3% the previous week.
In terms of genomic surveillance of the virus, “the JN.1 variant is now dominant in France and globally,” explains Public Health France. In mainland France, JN.1 represented, its sub-lineages included, more than 99% of the interpretable sequences from the Flash survey of September 2.”
Do not relax on barrier gestures
To keep Covid-19 at bay, there is no miracle recipe, but a proven method: barrier gestures, again and again, and particularly in periods of high viral circulation. In the winter of 2020/2021, while France was experiencing its second wave of Covid-19 – the deadliest, the French had massively adopted barrier gestures, leading to a virtual extinction of other seasonal diseases (bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis , flu) that winter.
If since the arrival of vaccines, barrier gestures have ceased to be a priority for many, Public Health France nevertheless calls for not to relax on all these measures which make it possible to limit contamination: “The adoption of barrier gestures remains an effective way to protect yourself from a respiratory infection and its complications and limit the risk of transmission to those around you and particularly to vulnerable people: wearing a mask in the event of symptoms and regular hand washing are then recommended. recommends the health agency.
And as the World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us, “the risk of contracting Covid-19 is higher in busy and insufficiently ventilated spaces where infected people spend long periods of time in close proximity to each other. . Outbreaks have been reported in places where people gather, often in crowded indoor environments and where they talk loudly, shout, breathe heavily or sing, such as restaurants, choirs, fitness classes, nightclubs, offices and places of worship. To limit the risk of contamination and clean indoor air, the WHO recommends “avoiding enclosed, busy spaces, where you will be in close contact with other people”, and “opening a window in order to ‘increase the volume of natural ventilation when you are indoors’.
New vaccination campaign
And like every year at the same time, the health authorities are setting up a new seasonal vaccination campaign, targeting in particular people aged 65 and over as well as people at risk of serious illness. Kick-off: October 15, as part of a “joint vaccination campaign against Covid-19 and flu”, specifies Public Health France.
The goal: to avoid a runaway epidemic, and above all to protect the most vulnerable people facing the virus. Thus, the health agency reminds “that certain adults (immunocompromised people, patients aged 65 and over with risk factors) can also benefit from specific antiviral treatment for Covid-19, in particular if they present an increased risk to develop a serious form of the disease.
