A new coronavirus outbreak grows in France and sets off alarms for a new variant

The ninth wave of the coronavirus has returned to France. With the arrival of winter, which promises to be snowy and cold for the weekend, specialists they expect at least an average of 50,000 daily caseswhen the French abandoned protective gestures, such as masks and gels.

Last Friday there were 48,629 infected cases in France in 24 hours and the trend is increasing.

“After three or four days, the contaminations increase rapidly and strongly: we’re representing a 30% increase in one week and the trend is upwards,” explained the epidemiologist Mahmoud Zureik. “In a few days they will reach 50,000 cases a day,” predicted the professor of the University of Versailles Saint Quentin in Yvelines.

Nobody knows what this 9th wave will look like. A small wave or a health tsunami, which overwhelms hospitals, when hospitalizations were 3,000 a day in the pandemic?

The fears

The new arrival of COVID is a subvariant BQ 1.1. It is what reigns and the ability that vaccines have on it is still unknown. But specialists believe so will be the majority in January in France.

The fifth vaccination for the over-60s has already begun. Pharmacies in France are open on Sundays and make vaccinated lists. Social Security is responsible for the cost.

The strike of the biological laboratories is complicating the analysis of tests on contaminants every day. Another measure of force is expected from December 1, which could create huge problems for epidemic control and testing.

The strikes are a sequel to the post-Covid exhaustion in which the employees of these institutions are left, after the brutal pandemic, their work intensity and low wages.

Without protection

The problem facing specialists is this people are testing themselves less and less and have lost track. Others test themselves and do not enter official statistics. Therefore, the actual figures are likely to be much higher.

Epidemiologist Zureik says France is entering “an unfavorable period, like March 2021”. I’m in winter, which is when the virus circulates the most. The rate of vaccinations against the fourth dose is very low. Currently The goal is to vaccinate a population of 18 million inhabitants.

They are those who are over 60 and received their last dose more than six months ago. At this rate it will take a year and a half to immunize them.

At the same time there are two other epidemics affecting: flu and bronchiolitiswhich mainly affect the elderly and children. The public health agency said the bronchiolitis epidemic was the strongest in 10 years.

Thousands of tourists have arrived in France after Covid and although 9 million French people telecommute to take care of energy, everyone has forgotten the gestures of protection from the pandemic. Wearing masks, except those required in hospitals and dentists, is not the rule.

‘The majority of the population no longer uses them,’ warned Professor Zureik.

The Ministry of Health will launch radio and television campaigns to interest the population in vaccination against the flu and Covid.

Other specialists recommend launching protection gestures now. Before the family celebrations arrive, they suggest do a test before the meetingespecially if there are elderly people, and a self-test on the same day.

Avoid massive hospitalizations

Security has been trivialized. No one remembers that the mask protects as well as the gel, both in public transport and in the metro as well. We need to go back to precautions. This will prevent mass hospitalizations and reduce the intensity of the 9th wave.

When you were vaccinated more than six months ago, protection goes from 85 to 65 percent. Doctors recommend getting the new vaccination without waiting if 6 months have passed since the last dose and you are over 60 years old.

They also suggest using bivalent serum, which is more active against subvariants. Studies show it’s five months more neutralizing. It not only strengthens the possibility of not being infected, but also protects against severe forms of the disease.

Doctors want to prevent the number of deaths from the epidemic from alarming the population. They must act first. Doctors request the mandatory mask Before the hospitals overflow.

In universities there is an explosion of infections but no one wears a mask. In Metro are exceptions.

The kiss and the hug are back, without the slightest protection or social distance. The French want to forget the virus, which has returned forcefully, to recover their freedom, which is once again threatened today.

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