A pharmacy in Cannes indicating the temperature (illustration).

-

SYSPEO / SIPA

Now is the time to compare the major health crises that have occurred in France since the turn of the century.

If we immediately see that the Covid-19 was deadlier than the heatwave that occurred in 2003, the figures remain, as often, to be put into perspective.

According to an INSEE study published on Friday, the current crisis was indeed less “intense” given its longer duration.

Insee figures

The coronavirus epidemic caused between March 10 and May 8 an excess mortality of around 27,000 deaths compared to previous years against an excess mortality of 15,000 deaths observed during the heat episode that hit France between August 1 and 24, 2003. In mainland France, 47,000 deaths from all causes were recorded during the 2003 heatwave against 31,700 on average over the same period over the three previous years (1999-2002).

During the Covid-19 episode, 124,100 deaths were recorded against 96,800 on average over the same period over the years 2016-2019, details the National Institute of Statistics.

24 days versus 60

This gap is explained in particular by the increase and aging of the population observed in recent years.

People aged 60 or over, the main victims of both the heatwave and the coronavirus, represented 21% of the population in 2003 against 27% in 2020. However, if we compare the duration of these two events, the heatwave that lasted 24 days was more intense, causing an average of 638 additional deaths per day compared to 455 during the epidemic wave, which lasted 60 days in the spring of 2020.

In addition, if the heatwave affected the entire country, all regions had not been affected in the same way and more deaths had been observed in Ile-de-France and Center-Val-de-Loire.

The Covid-19 epidemic has once again strongly affected Ile-de-France, but also the Grand-Est.

The coronavirus epidemic, which has already caused at least 31,095 deaths in France, is currently experiencing a rebound, with an increase in cases of contamination and hospitalizations.

Society

Nearly 13,500 new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours in France

Culture

Fabrice Luchini would like to play Didier Raoult in a film biopic

  • Heat wave

  • INSEE

  • Covid 19

  • Video

  • Health

  • Coronavirus