The executive "made the choice" to "let the virus circulate" to achieve collective immunity against Covid-19, a "very risky" bet given the uncertainties around the Omicron variant and its impact on hospitals, a estimated Sunday the infectious disease specialist Eric Caumes.
In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran declared that “this fifth wave will perhaps be the last”, Omicron being so contagious that it “will lead to enhanced immunity”.
"I was surprised that he said it", reacted on LCI Éric Caumes, former head of the infectious diseases department at the hospital of La Pitié Salpêtrière in Paris: "I am convinced that it will not be the last wave.
But it will perhaps be the last of this intensity ”.
"The reality we will know in 15 days, not before"
According to the infectious disease specialist, "the choice that has been made is to let the virus circulate", in particular by not imposing any restrictions at the time of the end of the year holidays, when the contaminations have exploded.
If the public authorities had wanted to slow down the epidemic, “they would have done it” but “they did not do it for economic and moral reasons”.
“It's a very risky bet.
Hopefully they are not mistaken ", considering that Omicron is" clearly less serious "than the Delta variant.
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“But we are in hope, not reality.
The reality we will know in two weeks, not before, "continued Professor Caumes, who fears that the outbreak of contamination is sending many unvaccinated people to hospitals already" on their knees ".
Pr Caumes supports the return of children to school
"We are forced to make places for Covid patients, to cancel surgeries, and that's still the Delta", still responsible for the rise in hospitalizations in intensive care.
Professor Caumes nevertheless felt that it was necessary "to return to school" on Monday, because "there are real collateral problems in children, who are not very sick from this virus".
He also ruled that there was "no reason" to generalize the wearing of the FFP2 mask, advocated by the deputy LR Éric Ciotti, support of Valérie Pécresse.
These masks, more filtering, must "be reserved for caregivers above all", assured the doctor, evoking a "false controversy".
