Paris (AFP)
The Delta variant is rapidly supplanting other strains of the Covid-19 virus in France, and already represents "close to 50%" of contaminations, Minister of Health Olivier Véran said on Friday.
"The Delta variant, this variant which initially came to us from India" before developing in other areas like the United Kingdom, "appeared a few weeks ago in our country and it is 60% more contagious. than the other viral strains which circulated so far ", recalled the minister, on France Inter.
"It is gradually replacing all the other strains of the coronavirus that existed and it will soon be the majority, probably this weekend, in our country", added the minister, specifying that this variant "was not far from 50%" new cases of contamination Thursday evening.
It is the spread of this more contagious variant that has caused the epidemic to rise again in the country, underlined Olivier Véran.
"It again leads to an increase in contaminations in France", he said, observing that "every week there are about 50% more contaminations than in the previous week".
"A phenomenon is happening quite close to what we experienced last summer: the virus mainly affects young people, who have few serious forms but become contaminated", according to the minister.
But even with this variant, "the vaccine remains effective against severe forms," he continued.
"It's time to get vaccinated", especially for all those who hesitate or who wanted to wait before taking action, said Olivier Véran.
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