In the JDD, the member of the Scientific Council says he is confident that “in the long term”, this virus will join “the other seasonal coronaviruses”.
The peak in the number of Covid-19 cases “should peak mid-January», Told the Sunday Newspaper epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet. While France is beating the daily case records, with more than 200,000 contaminations per day since Wednesday, the member of the Scientific Council believes that “the peak hospital could take place a week later (…). Île-de-France will be the first to be affected“, He indicated.
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In “a hospital already hard hit by 22 months of health crisis“, The epidemiologist said to expect”to a huge logistical and organizational challenge“. However, he indicated that “increased use of telework will play an important role“To reduce the level of this peak, as well as”aeration or ventilation efforts»Classes and canteens. He advocated stopping gym classes and indoor choirs for the time being.
The peak will have “a limited timeBecause patients with this variant have a lower need for mechanical ventilation and stay in hospital for less. Protection against severe forms is very well preserved with the vaccine, he recalled, “around 80-90% after a booster dose“.
Seasonal coronavirus
“Ultimately there is hope“, However argued the epidemiologist. “Sars-CoV-2 will join other human seasonal coronaviruses that give us colds and tonsillitis every winter“, He said. “We’re not there yet. We can expect that new variants will emerge, but as our immunity strengthens over time, either through natural infection or with booster doses of the vaccine, their ability to produce severe forms will decrease.“.
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The year 2022, according to Arnaud Fontanet, will bring new control tools, such as vaccines administered by intranasal route and the imminent arrival of the antiviral Paxlovid which will allow the treatment of people at risk of serious forms. Thereby, “the more time passes, the less painful the waves will be“, Further underlined the epidemiologist.
Even the optimistic but cautious tone of Olivier Véran, also interviewed in the JDD: “this fifth wave may be the last“, he said, indicating that Omicron is so contagious that it “will result in enhanced immunity” in the world.