This Thursday, the number of people hospitalized fell below the symbolic bar of 1000 in our country. Hospitals now admit 937 infected patients, including 187 in intensive care, a decrease of 22 patients on the last day. New hospitalizations are down 3% per day from the average of the last week, with 27 patients hospitalized on Thursday. Our country also recorded 42 more deaths, although the decline is around 3% per day. As for new contaminations, they are 212. As for early indicators, the number of consultations with general practitioners for flu symptoms remains stable at 78 units per 100,000 inhabitants.
Three scenarios on the table
At the time of deconfinement, different scenarios were possible: resurgence, stabilization or further decline in the epidemic: “A number of us expected to have a number of ripples, small increases, or even – it was not thought too much – a big wave like in mars, analyzes the spokesperson Yves Van Laethem. But here we are facing a very calm development. The various indicators are very positive. The situation is good, maybe even a little better than we had expected. Evolution, for its part, will depend largely on the behavior of citizens. What we have now does not prejudge the coming weeks. “
“The population is responsible and careful”
On Thursday, epidemiologist Yves Coppieters worried on RTBF about the speed at which the deconfinement measures are linked, not according to him to assess the impact of the easing, and considering that we were now acting as if the virus and the danger was gone. “The deconfinement measures are not too fast, answers Yves Van Laethem. We are 17 days behind phase 1B and 10 days behind phase 2 without the indicators having changed. Nothing currently tells us that the deconfinement measures are going too fast “. For his colleague Steven Van Gucht, the authorities are reducing the measures gradually and cautiously. And citizens are gradually adjusting their behavior, while measures have already been relaxed for some time. “We see this with the gradual increase in traffic. People have not rushed to the sea or to shops. They behave in a responsible and prudent manner. This gives confidence for the future and for the future relaxation of the measures.“Indeed, after the schools, we are now talking about the layout of the bubble for 4 people, restaurants … “15 days ago, I would have been more circumspect, admits epidemiologist Raphaël Lagasse. In the scientific community, we are rather surprised at how it is going well. Since the figures are green and do not contradict us, we say to ourselves: let’s continue this movement of deconfinement. Especially since it also has harmful effects, possibly in the long term. In addition, as the number of patients (as reflected by the number of hospitalizations) decreases, there is less risk of meeting them than before confinement. And if in addition, the person wears a mask and you too, which was not the case two months ago, the risk is reduced all the more. Presumably, these behaviors, which have changed as a result of the advice and measures taken, lead to a decrease in the transmission of the virus.
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