Resuscitations are saturated as the third wave rages in Ile-de-France -

BERTRAND GUAY / AFP

  • In Ile-de-France, the incidence rate is now higher than it was during the second wave.

    Despite the braking measures put in place last week, the situation is deteriorating.

  • With nearly 1,400 patients in intensive care, the services are already saturated.

This spring looks like it was last year… and that doesn't say anything.

A week after the start of the third confinement - or the implementation of "braking measures", as the government prefers to call them - the figures for the coronavirus in Ile-de-France are dizzy.

This Thursday, 1,410 patients affected by Covid-19 are in intensive care, it is 300 more than last fall, at the peak of the second wave.

And the situation is not expected to improve in the coming days since the incidence - that is to say the number of new cases over the last seven days - continues to soar and now stands at around 600 cases for 100,000 inhabitants.

As more and more voices speak out for tougher measures,

20 Minutes

takes stock with the deputy director of the Ile-de-France regional health agency, Nicolas Péju.

The figures have been alarming in the region for several weeks.

What exactly is the situation?

Viral circulation is progressing very strongly, in Seine-Saint-Denis and in Val-d'Oise, the incidence has exceeded 700 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and resuscitation services are already saturated.

This Thursday evening, 1,410 patients who have contracted Covid-19 are in critical care, in addition to the 1,100 patients hospitalized in these departments for other pathologies.

Usually, it is necessary to realize that there are in all and for all 1,150 resuscitation beds in Ile-de-France.

To cope with this influx, we were forced to step up deprogramming: we went from 40% to a target of 80%.

The current situation is really extremely worrying.

Is it worse than the first wave?

Each wave is different from the previous one but what is certain is that this one has already exceeded that of the fall, both in intensity and in gravity.

Unlike the first wave, we cannot hope for reinforcements from other regions, which is the reason why we are forced to call on staff from other services which implies deprogramming but also to train these caregivers urgently. .

The arrival of the variant has changed the situation, but there is also the prospect of vaccination which changes everything.

What is the profile of people currently hospitalized in intensive care?

There is a rejuvenation.

Over the past 30 days, the average age has dropped from 65 to 63.6 years.

This follows the contaminations curve, the incidence in people over 80 years old decreases, thanks in particular to vaccination, while it increases very strongly in 20-60 year olds.

Resuscitators also tell us that these are people who have fewer comorbidities than before.

Studies are underway but this could be one of the effects of the variants.

Are the braking measures in place sufficient?

The figures are not good, the incidence has increased this week by 33% at the regional level and for the moment, there is no inflection.

But these are people who were infected before the government announcements, we do not yet have the necessary hindsight to say whether these measures will be effective.

Experience has taught us that it takes at least a fortnight to see the first effects.

The other topic of debate in recent days is the closure of schools.

What is the current situation?

On March 24, there were 800 classes and 30 schools closed in the region.

The incidence among the youngest follows the general trend and has therefore accelerated markedly in recent weeks.

Between March 18 and 25 alone, the incidence rate among 10-19 year olds fell from 476 to 685 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the Paris region.

That's 44% more in a week.

This very strong increase can nevertheless be partially explained by an increase in the screening of the youngest.

The debate according to which children are less contaminants is therefore no longer valid ...

No.

I think that today everyone agrees that children can be contaminated and therefore contaminants.

Some voices propose to bring the school holidays forward by two weeks.

Have you noticed, over the past year, a link between the holidays and the progression of the epidemic?

Yes, there is less contamination during the holidays because schools are places where social interactions can increase the circulation of the virus.

But the priority for now is to reduce the circulation of the virus overall by applying the braking measures.

Can the acceleration of vaccination expected in the coming weeks stem this third wave?

It has already increased a lot in March.

At the end of February, it was expected to receive 300,000 doses by March.

Finally, this month we carried out 800,000 injections.

But the vaccination, if it will allow us to get out of the epidemic, does not have a short-term effect, it will not slow down the viral circulation.

Only the braking measures are effective in breaking the dynamics.

How many vaccinodromes will see the light of day in Ile-de-France?

What are the vaccination forecasts for the month of April?

For now, two large capacity centers will open during the month of April, one at the Stade de France, the other in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

At the same time, they will vaccinate current centers whose endowment in doses will also increase.

If they fail to cope, we will open others.

About a million injections are expected in April.

Has the percentage of caregivers vaccinated increased?

He is improving every day.

In nursing homes, more than 60% of caregivers are vaccinated, in the hospital it is a little more than 35%.

It is a little above the flu vaccination rate, but we must continue our efforts.

Society

Coronavirus in Ile-de-France: How the deprogramming of care affects (other) patients

Health

Coronavirus: Has the profile of intensive care patients changed?

  • Paris

  • Covid 19

  • Confinement

  • Society

  • Coronavirus