Contamination with the new coronavirus is on the rise again, and it is not just because the French are being tested more. Public Health France (SPF) warns of a resumption of the Covid-19 epidemic in his last weekly bulletin.
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A disturbing signal
“A worrying signal”, according to Daniel Levy-Bruhl, epidemiologist at Public Health France, for whom the stake is “to try to avoid that the recent dynamics persist”. Especially since hospital services are still under pressure: “Many patients remain hospitalized. The resumption of the epidemic is likely to result in the coming weeks by new hospitalizations. This is worrying because the number of patients in the hospital is already very large in the hospitalization and intensive care units, ”worries Sophie Vaux, epidemiologist at Public Health France.
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+ 10% contamination
The number of new cases confirmed by RT-PCR and antigen tests increased by 10% during the week of December 7 to 13 (79,787 new cases in week 50 compared to 72,516 in week 49). The test positivity rate is stable (6.2% versus 6.4% the previous week)
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The French get tested more
The use of tests has increased by 14% in one week. Is this the reason why there are more contaminations? No, it is even rather the reverse. Santé Publique France looked at the data: the increase in tests is significant in people with symptoms. The increase in the use of tests is therefore a sign that the virus is circulating more, a hypothesis confirmed by the evolution of the curves of hospitalizations which are no longer trending downward.
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The epidemic resumes
Another sign of the resumption of the epidemic: the R (virus reproduction rate) is increasing. It stands at 1.03 “for the first time since crossing the epidemic peak, and clearly above its level of the previous week”, notes Sophie Vaux, epidemiologist at Public Health France.
However, when the R crosses the 1 bar, the epidemic is progressing.
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Call for caution
In this context, and with the approach of the holidays which will be a period of high risk of contamination, Public Health France renews its call for caution: “the adoption by all of individual prevention measures associated with collective measures remains the only way to limit the circulation of the virus, contain the epidemic and protect the most vulnerable people ”in the face of COVID-19.
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