While the WHO has announced that patients who have been cured of Covid-19 may not be immunized against the disease, the so-called "collective immunity" strategy appears less and less indicated. For Philippe Sansonetti, professor emeritus at the Pasteur Institute and the College of France, current measures show that it has not been considered for a long time by the government.

INTERVIEW

The World Health Organization (WHO) alerted on Saturday to the lack of evidence regarding the immunity of former coronavirus patients. A number of cases would suggest resurgence of the disease in already infected patients. Guest of Europe 1 Sunday, Professor Emeritus at the Pasteur Institute Philippe Sansonetti conceded that knowledge about the virus was still limited. Above all, he said that the authorities were no longer betting on collective immunity. "We are not aiming to obtain this percentage of attack rate on the population from 60% to 70%. It is behind us," he explains. 

>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Sunday April 26

"WHO is in its role," insists the professor at the college of France. "The scientific evidence is still insufficient to ensure that the 'seropositivity' [...] of convalescent Covid-19 patients protects them from future infection." Recalling that the researchers were confronted with a virus that only emerged a few months ago, Philippe Sansonetti bluntly affirms that it will take time before accumulating the knowledge necessary for the development of a vaccine.

>> Find all of Patrick Cohen's programs in replay and podcast here

Health system strain

In this context, he believes that the so-called "collective immunity" strategy is no longer on the agenda. According to him, about 10% of the population has been infected in the most important foci. "When we see what this small percentage has caused as a strain on our health system, we can feel what the system would be [if it were multiplied by 6]". According to an opinion from the Scientific Council, if 70% of the population were to become infected, with the current mortality rate, 250,000 people could die.

CORONAVIRUS ESSENTIALS 

> Can France hope for a more favorable scenario than Italy? 

> Are women and people with blood type O more resistant? 

> Are certain serious forms linked to a genetic factor? 

> How will the distribution of masks take place in France? 

> Back to school on May 11: under what conditions? 

> How to keep sleep during confinement?

"We made the choice to live with this notion that not everyone will be infected with the virus", concludes Philippe Sansonetti, before adding that "we must draw the consequences for the quality of prevention". The fight against the epidemic should therefore involve other strategies and will require increased vigilance at the time of deconfinement.