Making the situation viable at all costs and ensuring the proper functioning of all the essential cogs and of the French economy, a sizeable challenge at the twilight of the year 2021. Alerted by the scientific council on a possible "disorganization of society" by January, the government plans to reduce the isolation of positive people and their contact cases, faced with the health constraints imposed by this fifth wave of Covid-19.
As the Omicron variant spreads like wildfire, isolating people for up to 17 days runs the risk of crippling France. "If we reach 100,000 cases per day (
Editor's note
, which should happen before the end of 2021, according to Olivier Véran) and the contact cases must be isolated as is the case now, this may pose problems functioning, estimates the virologist Yannick Simonin. An adaptation of the isolation is probably necessary depending on the vaccination status - booster or not - and the presence or not of symptoms. "
“We must avoid any phenomenon of paralysis.
(…) I cannot yet give with certainty the way, the number of days which will be required from now on, but that will evolve, obviously ”, confirmed Olivier Véran.
How will this be reflected in concrete terms?
Here are the avenues under study for the different scenarios.
Eliminate isolation of vaccinated contact cases
Currently, the isolation period imposed on contact cases of people positive for the Omicron variant (or likely to be) is 17 days if they share the same home as the positive person, and 7 days if This is not the case.
This period of 17 days, long and restrictive, is taken "taking into account the particularities of this variant", justifies Social Security.
Such an isolation period makes it possible to cover a potential incubation period of which no one yet knows how long it can last exactly.
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But this isolation imposed on contact cases could decrease, or even be purely and simply removed, provided they are vaccinated.
This is already the case for contact cases of people positive for the Delta variant: no isolation is imposed on these people if they are immune.
Isolate contaminated people for 7 days instead of 10
Other changes being considered also include reducing the isolation period for people who test positive.
It is now 10 days, whether the person is infected with the Delta variant or with Omicron, but could possibly increase to 7, as has been the case since Monday in the United Kingdom.
But be careful not to set the threshold too low, warn some scientists.
"For positive cases, even if they are asymptomatic and vaccinated, an isolation period must absolutely be maintained", insists Patrick Berche, member of the Academy of Medicine.
Some caregivers, however, already benefit from a waiver and can continue to work if they are positive, symptom-free and vaccinated, as had already happened in previous waves.