Cases of Covid-19 contamination are, once again, on the rise and wearing a mask is still recommended in closed places and transport.
By The Point.fr
Published on
– Modified
” L’Western Europe is experiencing the very likely start of a new (ninth) pandemic wave of Covid-19. In a series of tweets, epidemiologist and professor of public health at the University of Geneva Antoine Flahault expressed concern about an upsurge in contaminations and hospitalizations linked to Covid-19. And for good reason, according to Public Health France, 33,331 new cases of contamination have been recorded in the last seven days. A figure up 23.1% compared to last week.
And even if the incidence rate is still relatively low (277), the professor sees a tremor there, only a few weeks after the end of the eighth wave, linked to the start of the school year. “Deaths are no longer falling and should increase again soon,” he fears.
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Above all, for Antoine Flahault, a ninth wave of contamination would be a sign that “the pandemic is accelerating”. If there were only two waves in 2020 and 2021, it would be the fifth for the year 2022 alone. In question, according to the professor, the recurring arrival of new variants and sub-variants. This new wave is thus caused by the BQ.1.1 sub-variant of Omicron.
1/5 – Western Europe is experiencing the very likely start of a new (ninth) pandemic wave of #COVID19.
— Antoine FLAHAULT (@FLAHAULT) November 17, 2022
This is the fifth wave of the year 2022, after two waves in 2020 and two waves in 2021: the pandemic is accelerating. pic.twitter.com/dUBO3q1dJo
“Accelerate” vaccination
The epidemiologist, however, wants to be reassuring since he ensures that vaccination continues to protect against serious forms of the disease. He nevertheless recommends to “all those (children included) who received their previous dose more than 6 months ago” to request a booster dose, and this, “regardless of the history of Covid-19, to reduce the transmissions, severe forms, hospitalizations, long Covids and deaths”.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Health, François Braun, had called for “accelerating” vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza, in particular of the elderly and frail, the latest campaigns having so far “not reached” their goals.
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Antoine Flahault also recommends, like Public Health France, wearing a mask when you are in a closed environment or on public transport.