INTERVIEW
According to figures provided by the Pasteur Institute, between 3 and 7% of the French population have been contaminated by Covid-19. Olivier Schwartz, director of the virus and immunity unit of the foundation, explains that these data are both good and bad news. While they show that the containment measures have produced the expected effects, limiting the spread of the coronavirus, they also prevent consideration of collective immunity. "It would have had to reach 65% of the French population [infected] for the epidemic to stop by itself", he said on Saturday on Europe 1. And to warn: "The population will not be naturally immune. "
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As of May 11, 2.8 million French people have been infected with the virus, according to an epidemiological study by the Pasteur Institute. A figure far removed from the approximately 200,000 cases declared, according to the results of the Directorate General of Health.
For Olivier Schwartz, this shows that confinement has "paid off". "There were, every day before the establishment of containment, several tens or even hundreds of thousands of people who contaminated themselves. Now we have come down between 1,000 and 4,000 people who unfortunately continue to contaminate themselves." The decrease in the number of new cases should make it possible to relieve the intensive care units in the coming weeks.
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"Protective measures are necessary"
But this figure forces us to reject the hypothesis of collective immunity. The population has not been exposed enough to the virus to resist it. "This means that protective measures, a natural barrier, are necessary", continues Olivier Schwartz who also mentioned the research continuing on a possible vaccine.
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The Pasteur Institute should also conduct the first clinical trials by July. "The first results that we have seen show positive signs," said the director of the virus and immunity unit. However, we should not expect the circulation of a vaccine for at least 18 months, as explained by the Minister of Research Frédérique Vidal, on Saturday on Europe 1.