The threshold of 160,000 deaths linked to Covid-19 has been crossed in France, against the backdrop of the ninth wave of the epidemic, according to figures published Tuesday by Public Health France.
A total of 160,008 people have died, including 130,617 in hospital.
The bar of 150,000 dead had been crossed on July 8.
“
The epidemic has not disappeared, the virus still kills and strikes again
”, launched Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne at the end of November at the National Assembly.
In 2022 alone, which is coming to an end, France has nearly 40,000 Covid deaths.
The epidemic, which had experienced a lull after a post-return wave, started again for more than three weeks.
It is carried by Omicron's BQ.1.1 sub-variant, which is gradually replacing BA.5.
23,217 hospitalized patients
Almost three years after the start of the pandemic, this new wave is still increasing contamination, but at a slower pace in recent days.
The horizon of the epidemic peak is still uncertain.
Tuesday evening, there were 23,217 hospitalized patients, including 2,104 new admissions.
One hundred and thirty-five patients have died in hospital in the past 24 hours.
Read alsoCovid, flu and bronchiolitis are hurting the hospital
Covid-19 adds to an early and ascending flu but also to bronchiolitis at record levels for more than ten years in infants.
This “
triple epidemic
”, which strikes, as in other countries, an already proven health system, is “
completely unprecedented
” and its evolution difficult to predict, had underlined at the beginning of December Public Health France.
However, the anti-Covid booster vaccination is lagging behind in France - like that against the flu -, despite a recent rebound.
"To get vaccinated"
Only “
2.8 million people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 since the beginning of October, this is much less than our European neighbors
”, thus underlined last week the Minister of Health François Braun, referring specifically to the recall campaign. In progress.
Read alsoA night in the pediatric emergency room, where the battle against the “triple epidemic” is being played out
Calling for a start, the minister hammered that everyone could “
get vaccinated
” with an anti-Covid reminder, while the communication on autumn vaccination was criticized for its confusion.
This message was relayed to professionals on Tuesday by the Directorate General of Health.
On the wearing of the mask, the government always refrains from making it an obligation in closed and frequented places, to the chagrin of caregivers, epidemiologists or patient associations.