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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
The latest bulletin from Public Health France indicates an upward trend concerning Covid and its new variant Eris. What are the regions concerned and the possible risks to date? We take stock
The Eris variant is circulating and the cases of suspected covid are starting again “slightly“on the rise this month of August, according to the latest Public Health France situation update of August 11.
A “moderate” increase in emergency room visits
Since July 1, the epidemic surveillance system has been based on indicators relating to genomic surveillance, recourse to SOS Médecins associations, hospital emergencies and deaths. In this context, the passages for suspicion of COVID-19 recorded between July 31 and August 6 indeed show an increase in children under 2 years old and adults with numbers which however remain “moderate”.
- 111 passages in week 31 vs 71 in week 30 (+ 56%) in children under 2 years old;
- 485 passages in week 31 vs 389 in week 30 (+ 25%) in 15-74 year olds;
- 324 passages in week 31 vs 242 in week 30 (+ 34%) in people aged 75 and over.
Which regions are most affected?
However, not all regions are affected by Covid cases. Still according to the surveillance bulletin, the areas most affected in the middle of summer are to date:
- The Pays de la Loire (+ 210% or + 21 passages);
- Normandy (+ 71% i.e. + 15 visits);
- Burgundy-Franche-Comté (+67% or +10 visits);
- New Aquitaine (+55% or +62 passages);
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (+35% or +18 passages);
- Brittany (+ 36% or + 14 passages);
- The PACA region (+ 33% or + 36 passages);
- Occitania (+ 31% or + 27 passages).
What do you risk in these regions?
No need to panic or cancel your reservations, if you have to go to the regions mentioned. The risk itself is low, as explained by Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
“Above all, it bears repeating: there is no more risk with this Eris variant than with any other. Then, the risk is always the same, it is a viral risk, of decompensation of another pathology, related to age, and to the immune state of a person (cancer, immunosuppression extremely serious pathology…) . As we can see, these are currently seaside areas, clusters in restaurants, nightclubs… with people who are generally in good shape, able to go on vacation. The risks are therefore moderate to date.” he confirms.
The barrier gestures that can prevent you from falling ill are however always required and recommended, to have a good holiday: a mask when you are sick, or when you are in an unventilated space, regular hand washing, and a good ventilation of spaces in general.