Will the isolation rules change in January? The body is considering the issue to prevent absenteeism linked to work stoppages from deeply disrupting essential sectors.
Supermarkets, transport, hospitals, schools … Because of the multiplication of work stoppages and absenteeism linked to the extreme contagiousness of the omicron variant, the Scientific Council fears a “disorganization” many sectors in January.
To limit this disorganization, the government advisory body specifies that it could become necessary to lighten the isolation rules, which can go up to seventeen days for a contact case. This is because omicron appears to cause fewer severe forms of Covid-19.
According to first preliminary studies from South Africa, Scotland and England, the omicron variant causes fewer hospitalizations than delta. Despite everything, it is much more contagious, which could therefore cause an increase in the number of hospitalized patients, especially the unvaccinated and the frail.
Several hundred thousand cases a day in January?
The “Dazzling” transmission of omicron could result in January by “Several hundred thousand” cases per day, the Scientific Council further predicted. This will “To pose problems on the strategic sectors of operation of our company: food distribution, security, energy, transport, communications and health”, explains Professor Olivier Guérin, member of the board. “This is really new data that we did not have on the other waves, and which is linked to the speed of propagation of omicron”, continues the specialist, according to whom the question is a “Essential subject”.
“There will be adjustments to be made which will take into account the severity of the clinical forms” disease caused by omicron, added another member of the board, Professor Arnaud Fontanet. According to the expert, these adaptations could also depend on the level of contagiousness of the person at a particular time, determined by tests, as well as on the “Nature of duties” that it occupies. These possibilities “Relaxations” will have to be accompanied “A strengthening of barrier gestures”, advocates Professor Fontan. “This is a question that will affect the whole of society” and “We must expect that in January, we are operating in degraded mode”, he still judged.