The Delta variant which is wreaking havoc in Russia is progressing in France and already represents "
20% of new cases
" of Covid-19, double the previous week, but "
we can escape it
" with vaccination and close tracing, a assured Tuesday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
Read also: Variant Delta: like Australia, could France be forced to re-define certain areas?
"
For now, the incidence rate (number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants) continues to drop, we are at 18, or 20 to 30 times less than at the time of the peak
", explained the minister on France Info. "
The variant represents about 20% of new diagnoses, but in percentage, not in absolute value, since there is a decrease in the number of cases
", continued the minister, recalling that Delta (formerly called Indian variant) is "
more contagious and gradually becomes dominant
”. Last Wednesday, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal estimated the presence of the Delta variant at between 9 and 10% of new cases of Covid-19.
Olivier Véran underlined that this variant is becoming the majority or even dominant in many countries, such as the United Kingdom, Russia, Australia or Singapore. For the minister, “
we must not give up
” because this variant “
at present tends to decline, including in the Landes
”. In this department where it appeared first in France, the government carried out "
a very strong action plan, contact tracing (search for contact cases, editor's note), mass vaccination and the incidence rate has fallen by 10 % in a few days
”.
In the event of a fourth wave in the autumn, the minister estimated that it would undoubtedly be "
different
" from the previous ones like what is happening in the United Kingdom because "
logic would dictate that if you are vaccinated , you could be contaminated but will not develop serious forms
”. Ideally, the government aims for "
zero health, social and educational impact
" for a fourth wave since
"with the vaccine, we have 94/95% reduction in hospitalizations and severe forms
" and a decrease in asymptomatic forms. For the minister, the "
problem is not there
" but rather "
these people who hesitate and delay vaccination, and these people who are not vaccinated, are particularly exposed to a particularly contagious variant
”.
