“We are almost certain that there will be a next wave, probably in the fall”, said Health Minister François Braun last week. France could already see the beginnings of this new wave of Covid-19 which would be the eighth to affect the country, two years after the appearance of the virus.
According to figures published by Public Health France on Monday September 12, the number of contaminations has increased by 33% over one week, since Monday September 5. The national public health agency thus reports an average of 17,000 new daily contaminations.
“Return effect”
On Monday, 4,579 new cases were registered. A figure which represents a drop compared to the day before (16,422) but owes a lot to the fact that few samples are taken on Sundays. Compared to the 3,443 cases recorded on the same day last week, the number of contaminations does indeed appear to be on the rise.
The incidence rate, the number of positive tests per 10,000 people, is also on the rise. It stood at 178.2 on Friday for the past week, an increase of 5.7% in seven days. The increase in this rate is particularly visible among children under 10, rising from 90 to 98 during the first week of September. The start of the school year could thus explain this epidemic rebound.
The Omicron BA.5 variant represents nearly 95% of contamination in France, according to the results of a flash study published by Public Health France on Monday. “We have an evolution which is rather favorable for the moment. With a virus that becomes more contagious, but less dangerous”assured François Braun on Friday, stressing however the need to remain extremely « prudent ».