Despite recorded heat spikes, there are fewer summer heatwave deaths than in previous episodes. The heat waves of June and July resulted in less than 1,500 additional deaths in France, according to a report from the Ministry of Health, a level ten 10 times lower than the record recorded during the heat wave of 2003, and despite even higher temperatures this year.
Health Minister Agnès Buzyn announced the new Sunday: "We have 1,500 deaths recorded in more than the average of these months [June and July], so it is ten times less deaths than the heat wave of 2003 ", she said in the program" Political issues "(France Inter / franceinfo / Le Monde).
A statement then specified in a statement issued by the Ministry of Health, reporting according to the calculations of Public Health France "1,435 deaths in excess, 567 in the first heat wave and 868 in the second, an excess mortality 9.1% relative to normal.
A level that may surprise, even though France has experienced temperatures never recorded before, during the two episodes of this summer, late June / early July and late July. During the second episode, the threshold of 40 degrees was exceeded briskly in many cities, like Paris where the mercury climbed to 42.6 ° C.
Adults also affected
"The heat wave of 2003 was 20 days, there we had 18 days of heat wave in two episodes but very intense, with a coverage of the territory very important during the second heat wave" and with "excessively high temperatures", a recalled Agnes Buzyn.
In spite of these difficult conditions, "thanks to the prevention and these messages, we succeeded that the population integrated well to reduce by a factor 10 the mortality of 2003", estimated the minister, by welcoming the mobilization of the health professionals and care, communities, associations, EHPAD staff.
"Of these 1,500 more deaths, about half are people over 75, but there are also adults, even the youngest, who have been impacted," said Agnès Buzyn, mentioning "a dozen deaths in the world of work". According to the Ministry of Health, there were ten men, the majority of whom were working outdoors.
In 2018, the heat wave of late July / early August had caused about 1,500 more deaths than a normal summer.
The most deadly heatwave in France remains that of 2003. It had made 15,000 deaths between August 4 and 18, 2003, particularly in the Center region and Ile-de-France. Throughout the summer, the number of deaths caused by heat had reached 19,490 in France, according to a survey published in 2007 by Inserm.
With AFP