"High vulnerability" to Covid in the Nord and Pas de-Calais, why?

Illustration of a Covid-19 test -

• The indicators show that the coronavirus circulates a lot in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais, creating a "high vulnerability" for the two departments.

• The incidence and positivity rates skyrocketed within a week.

• A significant increase in new hospitalizations and intensive care admissions has been observed.

Nord and Pas-de-Calais in bright red.

It has been almost a week since the health situation in the two departments is very worrying regarding the Covid-19 epidemic.

Admittedly, the indicators no longer have anything to do with those that were in effect during confinement, but the circulation of the coronavirus - difficult to detect at the start of the year for lack of large-scale tests - is there today a reality.

takes stock.

A virus that is spreading more and more

The State today speaks of vulnerability and it is high in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais.

The incidence rates (number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) and positivity (percentage of cases by number of tests) exploded in a week.

In fact, the effective reproduction rate - that is to say the number of people that each patient can infect - is now close to 2 in the region (against 1.2 at the national level).

In Hauts-de-France, 36 epidemic outbreaks (excluding nursing homes) are currently active.

There are 20 in the North and 12 in Pas-de-Calais.

Conversely, vulnerability remains moderate in the Oise and the Somme and limited in the Aisne, with increased vigilance in the agglomeration of Saint-Quentin.

New measures to wait?

Like the prefecture of the North, that of Pas-de-Calais has just taken two new measures: wearing a mask compulsory for over 11s around schools and closing bars between 12:30 am and 6:00 am.

Will they be sufficient to stop the phenomenon of the virus spreading?

Major sporting or cultural events have been postponed, such as the Trail de la Côte d'Opale or the Deep Purple concert at Zenith in Lille.

But, in addition, the football matches of RC Lens or Losc can still accommodate 5,000 spectators while in England or in other European countries, closed doors remain the rule.

Hospital capacity

This recrudescence of the epidemic has, for the moment, no impact on the regional offer of care in town and in hospitals, according to Public Health France which however encourages "the greatest vigilance and the strengthening of measures of transmission prevention ”.

The organization notes "the significant increase in new hospitalizations and admissions in intensive care as well as the upsurge in Covid-19 episodes in social and medico-social establishments and nursing homes in the region".

However, the numbers of intensive care admissions for severe cases make it possible to put the seriousness of the situation into perspective.

In Hauts-de-France, 26 admissions were recorded between August 1 and September 2.

By way of comparison, the number of admissions, throughout France, was 767 for the day of March 31 and 86 last Monday.

The heatwave, more deadly

In Hauts-de-France, a significant peak in excess mortality (+ 45%), particularly affecting people over 75 years old, was observed between August 10 and 16, says Public Health France.

A very significant increase in connection with the scorching heat wave which particularly affected the Hauts-de-France region, placed in “heat wave red vigilance” between August 7 and 13.

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