Paris (AFP)

France is equipping itself with a new weapon against Covid-19, saliva tests, with the hope of reducing test times, a big black spot in the current policy to fight the rebound of the epidemic.

Saliva tests can be used, but only in people with symptoms, according to an opinion from the High Authority of Health (HAS) issued Friday.

On the other hand, the HAS does not recommend them on people without symptoms, in whom "we would miss three infections out of four" because of insufficient performance, indicated Pr Dominique Le Guludec, president of the College of the High Authority of Health (HAS ), during an online press conference.

Saliva tests can detect the presence of genetic material of the coronavirus from a simple saliva sample.

This is easier, faster, and less unpleasant than the current reference sample (RT-PCR), which requires a long swab to be inserted deep into a person's nose.

"We recommend reserving (saliva tests) as a priority for those for whom the test in the nose is difficult," added Professor Le Guludec.

Among them, children who have rhinitis and go to the doctor's office, the very old or those with mental disorders.

The saliva test requires "spitting into a tube": it "can be done in general medicine, you can do it at home, just like a urine test to bring it to the laboratory", according to Professor Le Guludec.

"This is not going to change the technique (of analysis, editor's note), but undoubtedly reduce the queues in front of the laboratories", she continued.

After this notice, the Health Insurance will decide on the reimbursement, which may only take a few days, according to the HAS.

- Deadlines too long -

The government is looking for ways to reduce waiting times that are too long, both for doing the RT-PCR test and for getting the results.

To solve this problem, the authorities have already defined priority people (people who have a prescription, those who have symptoms or caregivers).

In addition, another type of testing, antigen testing, is now allowed, but not for people with symptoms or "contact cases".

The antigenic tests are also carried out from samples in the nostrils, by swab.

But unlike the RT-PCR test which requires a laboratory analysis, to detect the genetic material of the coronavirus, the antigen test identifies virus proteins in "15 to 20 minutes", recently underlined the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran.

Antigenic tests are "an element of diagnostic orientation not intended to replace the diagnosis carried out by (...) RT-PCR", according to a decree published Wednesday in the Official Journal.

HAS is currently evaluating them to see if they can also be used to diagnose symptomatic patients.

The arrival of saliva tests is good news while the situation is worrying.

Circulation of the virus among the elderly, hospitalizations, admissions in intensive care, number of "clusters" and now even number of deaths: "all the indicators" of a worsening of the Covid-19 epidemic are present, warned Public Health France.

- Death -

"For the first time since the lifting of containment, we have seen an increase in deaths for Covid-19", with a doubling to 265 deaths, after 129 the previous week, underlines the health agency in its weekly update.

According to INSEE, the Covid-19 epidemic was deadlier than the 2003 heatwave, with an excess mortality of around 27,000 deaths compared to previous years between March 10 and May 8 (against 15,000 for the heatwave of 'August 2003).

Since the start of the epidemic, at least 31,095 Covid-related deaths have been recorded in France, including 20,567 in hospitals, according to Public Health France.

Consequence of this aggravation: as in Bordeaux and Marseille before, groups of more than ten people were banned on Friday in parks, gardens and on the beaches of Nice.

Similar measures are expected in Lyon.

Even private space is starting to be affected.

Birthday parties, family meals, meetings with friends: private gatherings of more than ten people should be avoided in Paris and Île-de-France, the authorities in the region have recommended.

And clusters swarm here and there.

Six residents died in an Ehpad in Roanne (Loire) where nearly fifty positive cases were detected.

A cluster of 54 positive cases was also detected in one of the largest nursing homes in France, in Bourges (Cher).

For its part, Sciences Po will suspend access to its Parisian campus for 14 days after the discovery of around forty cases among its students.

On the other hand, the circulation of the virus in Gironde and Bordeaux, in sharp progression in recent weeks, shows a "tendency towards stabilization" which has yet to be confirmed, according to Sophie Larrieu epidemiologist at Public Health France.

© 2020 AFP