The “
triple epidemic
” facing France, with the simultaneous circulation of Covid, bronchiolitis and influenza, is “
completely unprecedented
” and its evolution still difficult to predict, underlined Public Health France on Friday.
The flu hits the metropolis early, adding to a rapidly rising Covid and bronchiolitis at record levels for more than 10 years in infants.
This situation hits an already tested health system, as in other countries, notably the United States.
Ninth wave of Covid-19
The Covid-19 epidemic, which experienced a brief lull in France after a wave in early autumn, is starting up again.
Friday, November 28, 48,629 new cases were recorded, against 33,177 the previous Friday, an increase of 46%.
As of the same date in 2021, the number of cases was just under 40,000.
More than a thousand patients are now admitted to hospital every day because of Covid-19, compared to just over 800 on the same date last year.
The resumption of the epidemic was therefore earlier this year.
The current rebound is already reflected in an “
upward recovery in new hospitalizations and admissions to critical care
”, after “
four weeks of decline
”, observes Public Health France in its last weekly update.
More than 4,500 hospitalizations have been recorded over the past seven days.
The increase concerns all mainland and overseas regions, and all age groups.
Fragile people called to be re-vaccinated
Government spokesman Olivier Véran called on elderly or sick French people on Thursday to give a new reminder of the Covid-19 vaccine, deploring that "
only 20%
" of them are "
up to date
" in the midst of the epidemic resumption of Covid-19 and flu.
"
If you are 60 years old or over, if you are a carrier of disease or if you are in daily contact with fragile or elderly people, get vaccinated against Covid if you are not up to date with your reminder
" , said the minister on RMC-BFMTV.
Read alsoCovid-19: Olivier Véran calls on fragile people to get vaccinated again
“
It takes you 5 minutes and it will protect you, it will limit the risk of complications and hospitalization
”, he added, referring to the delay for the second booster vaccination against Covid-19.
“
People who are young and who have been exposed or who have had (Covid-19), who have been vaccinated, keep stronger immunity than older people
,” recalled the former Minister of Health.
90% of the world's population immune to Covid-19
At least 90% of the world's population has some form of immunity to Covid-19, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, while warning of declining vigilance.
This drop in vigilance leaves the door open for the emergence of a new variant likely to spread and supplant the currently dominant Omicron variant, Tedros pointed out during a press conference.
"
WHO estimates that at least 90% of the world's population currently has some form of immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, either through previous infection or vaccination
," he added, referring to the virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic.
The WHO chief warned against the temptation to prematurely assert that the emerging phase of the pandemic is over.
"
We are not there yet
," he said.