Lots of numbers, so many upward curves and real concern.
But still no announced confinement.
According to the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, who gave a full and detailed update on the health situation in France this Thursday, the data are certainly worrying, but contained.
With, however, in the background but without ever mentioning it, the need to take even more restrictive measures.
Decryption.
No “epidemic wave”.
A little more than 20,000 new cases are now diagnosed every day, "that's a lot" recognizes Olivier Véran, "but less than the 50,000 cases recorded daily during the fall wave".
“We are not strictly speaking in an epidemic wave, but the virus is circulating at a high level.
We are rather on a rising plateau, ”said the Minister of Health.
This is not reassuring, however, since these new cases have been rising steadily by 10% per week on average over the past three weeks.
Soaring cases of variants, especially English.
The main fear, at the Ministry of Health, comes from the surge in the number of people infected with variants of the virus.
From an estimate of 500 per day in early January, these new cases have increased to 2000 today, mainly affected by the viral mutation discovered in England.
That is to say a rate of 10% of all cases detected daily.
This outbreak raises fears, for Olivier Véran, “a very strong epidemic wave, even stronger than the previous ones given the high contagiousness of these variants.
The good news however, the effectiveness of the vaccines against these variants has been confirmed by the laboratories whose products are already administered, even if questions still arise for the variant that has emerged in South Africa.
VIDEO. Covid-19: "The effectiveness of the curfew is fading", indicates Olivier Véran
The curfew measures, first at 8 p.m. and then at 6 p.m. throughout the country, were "effective" according to the Minister of Health, making it possible to stop the outbreak and standardize the territory epidemic dynamics, but “obviously, this effectiveness is fading and is not enough to roll back the virus.
"
Pressure resuscitation.
With 250 new patients admitted, on average, every day in intensive care units, against 170 in December and until the beginning of January, hospital pressure is increasing dangerously.
More than 3,100 patients with Covid are now in intensive care and more than 27,000 in “traditional” services.
"We are almost today at the level of resuscitation in October," notes Olivier Véran.
The big difference today is that the dynamics are not exponential but, again, the number of resuscitations is increasing, it is factual.
"Hospitals are" almost at 60% occupancy "of resuscitation beds by patients with Covid, pushing some establishments to once again resort to transfers, as in Nice.
"We are not very far from once again considering making the first interregional patient transfers to relieve certain regions," added the minister, referring to the Grand-Est and Franche-Comté.
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Give "hope", "perspectives".
"The curfew and all the control measures are certainly useful, but probably not sufficient", recognizes Olivier Véran.
The minister is however careful, for the moment, to speak of reconfinement, insisting all the same on the importance, "whatever the measures which will be taken in the coming days", of "giving perspectives to the French, essential because bearers of hope after these difficult times.
"
