How to explain that the Omicron wave is slow to ebb in France?

While vaccination continues to protect very well against severe forms of Covid-19, it is significantly less effective in preventing Omicron-related infection and transmission.

© AP - Jean-Francois Badias

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Covid-19 contaminations remain very high in France, with 360,000 cases per day on average last week, more than 90% of which were due to the Omicron variant.

Contrary to what the government hoped, the peak at the national level has not yet been reached, except, “a priori” in a handful of territories, such as Île-de-France. 

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According to the Scientific Council, from 9 to 14 million people could have been infected by Omicron in France since its emergence.

Omicron is

found to be the most transmissible of all coronavirus variants identified so far.

It also has the ability to escape part of the immune defenses developed after infection with another variant or after the vaccine.

While vaccination continues to protect very well against severe forms of Covid, it is significantly less effective in preventing Omicron-related infection and transmission.

Result: the virus can spread massively even in a very largely immunized population, as in France where more than three quarters of the inhabitants are vaccinated.

A new sub-variant  

This, especially since the dykes put in place to curb it are few or porous.

The resumption of school in early January may have accelerated the circulation of the virus, according to the scientific council.

“

 It circulates intensely among the youngest and then spreads to parents,

 ” notes the body in its opinion last week.

Finally, note that

a cousin of Omicron, BA.2, 

which could be a little more transmissible, was recently detected in Europe, in Denmark where it has become the majority.

In France it has already pointed the tip of the nose.

So could he delay the ebb of the wave in France?

An unanswered question for now.

►Read: Covid-19: the transition to an endemic form, a scenario not without danger, warns the WHO

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  • Coronavirus

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  • Vaccines

  • France