“The epidemic is not over!
“, recalls the scientific council from the outset.
The body responsible for advising the government gave it a new “warning note” on Friday March 11, before sending it to the press on Tuesday.
Several proposals are issued for the coming weeks, while an epidemic rebound began in early March.
Here's what to remember.
A multifactorial rebound
The Scientific Council lists several explanations for the increase in the number of daily cases, from 55,000 to 66,000 in ten days: relaxation of the population, impact of the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant (more transmissible than BA.1 and now the majority in France), the winter climate, the start of the school year, or even the decline of immunity.
As Le Parisien explained a few days ago, it is very complicated to say to what extent each of these factors may have played, especially since the rebound is generalized throughout Western Europe.
Read alsoEnd of the vaccine pass and the mask: why the government maintains its bet without having achieved its objectives
"The number of hospitalizations will increase temporarily in the coming weeks", warns the scientific council.
The number of daily admissions of Covid patients to hospital is already close to returning to above 1,000. But according to projections by the Institut Pasteur, the extent of this rebound should remain limited if contacts do not not increase too much.
"Commonalisation of the epidemic in society"
The scientific council notes that European countries (including France) are concerned about the war in Ukraine and that "Covid-19 has taken a back seat".
In addition, “citizens have the perception that the Omicron variants led to a large number of new contaminations in December 2021, January and February 2022, but that these contaminations lead to mild forms”.
For all these reasons, the body speaks of a “trivialization of the epidemic in society”.
The scientific council also points out that around 18,000 Covid-related deaths have taken place in France since December 15, “with a certain form of trivialization and indifference.
".
Measures for the elderly or frail
The scientific council calls "to emphasize the importance of the conservation of protective measures in the oldest, fragile, and immunocompromised".
Those who wish must be able to continue to wear the mask, to ventilate the premises or to wash their hands “to protect themselves or protect the most fragile, without ostracization”, whatever their age.
In recent days, the government has repeatedly called on the elderly and frail to keep the mask on their faces, especially in closed places, even if it is no longer compulsory since Monday.
A fourth dose from the age of 65?
While the campaign for fourth doses (or rather second booster doses) has just started for the over 80s and residents of Ehpad, the scientific council suggests widening the target to those between 65 and 80 years.
They too are “subject to a phenomenon of immunosenescence” with an immunity that declines over time, including against severe forms.
Read alsoCovid-19: after the over 80s, will we go to a fourth dose for all?
The scientific council relies on the Council for the orientation of the vaccine strategy and especially on the High Authority for Health, which has not yet pronounced on this subject.
On the other hand, and as all the experts agree, “for younger populations, not at risk, a fourth dose of vaccine is not indicated”.
Vaccinate more children
The scientific council also calls for "accelerating the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 with a medical risk factor".
Only 20% of them are vaccinated today, and vaccination coverage is even 5% if all children are taken into account (and not just those at risk).
This is much less than in our main neighbors (52% in Spain, 37% in Italy, etc.).
Boosting Paxlovid Prescriptions
This antiviral from the Pfizer laboratory "remains poorly identified by doctors and patients", regrets the scientific council, which calls for "simplification" of its prescription by pharmacists.
Paxlovid, intended for fragile patients who have tested positive, greatly limits the risk of a serious form.
Hold out until the end of April?
Finally, the scientific council invites the authorities to “rely more on a form of individual accountability and risk management”, in particular by making an “effort to educate and inform the population during the coming weeks”.
In this communication, it seems important to “take into account that an improvement in the situation could be observed with the change in climate from the end of April”.
