The president of the scientific council, Jean-François Delfraissy, was before the senators of the Laws and Social Affairs committees, gathered this Thursday, July 22 for a hearing for the examination of the bill on the health pass.
He returned to the Delta variant, to vaccination, and spoke of the management of the crisis.
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Hospitals heavily impacted in August
Professor Delfraissy wished to warn.
"
By the end of August, we will find ourselves in a very complex situation, with an impact on the healthcare system
", because of the Delta variant.
He explained Olivier Véran's comments on his contagiousness.
“In short, this variant has a transmission level 60 times higher. But I don't think people understand what it is. (...) The mutation would not allow the virus to hang on better, but to have a stronger multiplication capacity
,
”he
told senators.
Vaccines, despite their effectiveness close to 90% do not prevent the transmission of the virus, recalled Delfraissy.
He reminds everyone of the importance of barrier gestures (mask, distancing and hydroalcoholic gel)
indicating that he himself no longer washed his hands as often as before.
"
It is also the small measures that are important,
" he emphasizes.
Especially outdoors, where the Delta variant is more transmissible.
"
I changed my mind
" on the vaccination of caregivers
On the vaccination obligation requested from caregivers,
"without qualms
", Delfraissy reaffirmed his change of position at the end of June: "
Initially, I was to convince, go towards ... But there are now some of the caregivers
" harder to convince.
He made a point of recalling his responsibility as a doctor: “
we do this job for others, not for ourselves!
".
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Asked to position himself on a compulsory vaccination "
more generalized
", he was opposed to it despite his support for the health pass.
"
In public health, it is not the measure that is fundamental, but its acceptability
".
However, the vaccination of the most precarious worries him.
"
I insisted a lot (...) We must especially not see the appearance of a fourth societal wave
".
Pregnant women can be vaccinated without worry.
"
Do not count on treatments
" in the face of the 4th wave
During this hearing, the future was also discussed.
“
Let's not count on treatments to fight the fourth wave!
He said, indicating that the only antibodies we have are monoclonal antibodies, designed on purpose to fight disease.
2,500 French patients currently benefit from it,
"it's peanut"
, according to Delfraissy.
These same monoclonal antibodies could be administered orally in the future, in the form of tablets.
"
You are detected positive for the virus, and you are given (in) for five days
".
The variants and the end of the epidemic
Jean-François Delfraissy sees two scenarios emerging for the coming months.
“
A first vision, with (a) capacity for this virus to mutate (which) could be limited
”, with “
the final variant
” in a year, and a more pessimistic vision.
In the latter, there will be successive new variants and "
immune escape
" (ineffectiveness of the antibodies) possible in the long term in the population.
In France, 21,539 cases were recorded in twenty-four hours this Wednesday, July 21, according to Public Health France.