This epidemic rebound is all the more worrying for health authorities as it comes on top of the flu and bronchiolitis epidemics. But the French are reluctant to be vaccinated a fourth time and to wear the mask.
The numbers are in. Santé Publique France counts 52,908 new cases of Covid-19 in France as of December 3, 2022 and 357 deaths per day. The rebound of the epidemic is due to the BQ1.1 sub-variant, which appeared in November 2022. It is itself a sub-variant of BA.5, derived from the Omicron variant.
The situation is worrying for the health authorities who have to face at the same time a big epidemic of bronchiolitis which affects young children and the seasonal flu epidemic which affects rather the elderly. The hospital, already in difficulties, could be saturated in the coming days.
François Braun: “My hand will not tremble”
Interviewed on Sunday on BFM, the Minister of Health, François Braun, “launches a solemn appeal” to the French to respect the barrier gestures and to be vaccinated. “My hand will not tremble,” he said, “if the mask must be imposed in transport.”
Yet, as of November 28, 2022 (Covid Vaccine data), 72% of 60-79 year olds had received a booster suitable for the Omicron variant (10.0% of those eligible). Moreover, 31.6% of them are considered protected by vaccination, 9.4% of those aged 80 and over had received a booster adapted to the Omicron variant (11.3% of those eligible) and 13.0% are considered protected by vaccination. This is too little for the authorities.
Under these conditions, it is essential to obtain adherence to barrier measures, including the wearing of masks, should be accentuated to protect the most vulnerable.
“I received three doses and caught Covid twice
Are the French people refractory Gauls, as the President of the Republic said, or are they wise and… disillusioned citizens? For three years now, we have been scaring them with the coronavirus. Three years or almost that we ask them to be vaccinated “all vaccinated all protected” affirmed the Prime Minister Jean Castex. Three years that they are asked to respect the barrier gestures (wearing a mask, hydroalcoholic gel etc.). And three years that the facetious virus has been making waves. So, the ninth in this month of December 2022.
“I was vaccinated three times, in the space of 18 months, and I caught twice the Covid-19, laments a 50-year-old woman from Nancy. For me, there is no question of going for a fourth dose. I am not a laboratory animal.
Like this woman, many people no longer believe in the effectiveness of these pseudo vaccines. They feel that they have been lied to, that they have been fooled for reasons that they find difficult to understand.
Perhaps the French will still accept to wear a mask in the transport, but it will be more and more difficult to make them believe that the vaccine really protects from Covid.
Ma main ne tremblera pas s’il faut imposer le masque dans les transports. Nous faisons désormais face à une triple épidémie de grippe, bronchiolite et Covid. Pour ne pas saturer nos hôpitaux, j’appelle solennellement les Français à respecter les gestes barrières et à se vacciner. pic.twitter.com/u62roEajuG
— François Braun (@FrcsBraun) December 4, 2022