Health authorities are observing an increase in cases of Covid-19 contamination in the country. Several departments are on the front line facing this upsurge in infections.
This is one of the points of concern for health stakeholders as winter illnesses resurface at the start of December: will Covid-19 once again play havoc with the holidays? According to observations from Public Health France, France is currently recording an increase in “most indicators” linked to the disease at this time. In the words of Benjamin Davido, infectious disease specialist at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garches, the “period from December to January corresponds to a resumption of contaminations”, explained the latter in our columns.
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However, health stakeholders want to be reassuring: “We have some hospitalizations but no surge in cases, and no hospitalizations in intensive care,” continues Benjamin Davido. Viral circulation remains at levels that are much lower than what was observed during the first epidemic waves. According to the latest figures from Public Health, the overall incidence rate stands at 32.8 cases of contamination per 100,000 inhabitants in the countrybetween November 20 and 26.
Epidemic resumption in the Grand-Est
But the resumption of the epidemic which is currently hitting the country seems above all to affect the East of the country. As shown in the map below, the department of Bas-Rhin has the highest incidence rate in the country, with 116.47 cases of Covid-19 contamination per 100,000 inhabitants. Several departments of the Grand-Est are in this situation: this is the case, among others, of Haut-Rhin (111.9 cases per 1000,000 inhabitants), of the Meuse (92.62 cases per 1000,000 inhabitants) or even the Moselle (91.15 cases per 1000,000 inhabitants).
In Occitania, these are the departments of Tarn-et-Garonne (45.42 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) and Ariège (43.75 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), which are the most impacted.
The health authorities also observe disparities with regard to the profile of the people affected: “The syndromic indicators in town showed an upward trend in the share of this pathology among SOS Médecins acts, particularly among 15-64 year olds. and those aged 65 and over […] hospital, the syndromic indicators remained stable, except among those aged 65 and over in whom a slight increase was observed.
The fear of a triple epidemic
Thus, if the viral circulation indicators specific to Covid-19 remain low, health stakeholders fear a scenario similar to last year. At the same time, a triple epidemic – Covid-19, flu, bronchiolitis – hit the country, putting hospital establishments under pressure. This scenario could well be repeated this year: “We have new epidemic phases with the RSV viruses (respiratory syncytial virus),” says Benjamin Davido.
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Bacteria are also added to the picture. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is believed to be causing an explosion of respiratory illnesses among children in China. In France, health professionals are also observing an increase in cases of pneumonia among those under 15 years old. Enough to create uncertainty during this end-of-year period.