Surprise guest this summer.
The number of Covid-19 cases in France has slightly risen since August 1, with the emergence of “Eris” variants, which have caused an increase in medical procedures and emergency room visits.
A swab was collected from a passenger who had just arrived from China at the Covid-19 testing booths in Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy, near Paris, on January 1, 2023.
Merchandise Read more
France and many other countries are seeing a surge in Covid-19 cases during the height of summer, which is why it’s back in the news.
The Bayonne Festival, which was attended by 1.3 million people from July 26 to July 30, resulted in an average increase of 31 percent in the number of patients admitted to emergency rooms for suspected Covid-19 cases during the week.
Santé publique France, a government organization overseen by the health ministry, reported that 920 patients across all age groups were observed, but these figures are still “moderate”. The pandemic’s daily monitoring ended on June 30, as per the “favourable epidemiological context”.
SOS Medécins reported that medical consultations for suspected Covid-19 cases increased by 84 percent last week. Although this increase was only applicable to children under two years old, it also included those under the age of 12.
According to the health ministry, there is a noticeable increase in incidence in mainland France, particularly in the southwest, which is driven by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and most cases are found in popular holiday regions.
A type that is more resistant to antibodies.
The WHO has listed “variants of interest” on Wednesday, and some scientists attribute the rise to the emergence of a new EG.5.1 variant known as “Eris,” which is considered the goddess of discord in Greek mythology.
The latest COVID19 model, EG.5, is of interest.
WHO has identified this variant as a type of interest, which was previously under observation.
The prevalence of this variant has been steadily increasing. As of 7 August 2023, more than 7000 sequences have been shared across 51 countries.
On August 9, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) (@WOH) has revealed that it will be adding more information about a new app named “DlDdAPYMos” to its Twitter feed.
Antoine Flahault, an epidemiologist and director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Medicine, has observed that a new Covid-19 wave is emerging that is more transmissible than its predecessors. This trend appears to be similar to the Omicron EG.5.1 sub-variant.
Almost three-quarters of viruses sequenced in France contain the EG.5.1 strain, as reported by Gisaid, an international database that provides official Covid-19 data. Mircea Sofonea, a senior lecturer in epidemiology at the University of Montpellier in southern France, emphasizes that this figure should not be taken literally because it only considers positive tests and not all infected individuals are tested.
The most recent variant photo for France is presented here.
The new EG.5.* “Eris” variant (34%) has been experiencing significant growth in July, outperforming other comparable bands like XBB.1.9.* “Hyperion” (22%), YBB:1.16. * “Arcturus” (14%), and SKRAFEN (14%).
Mike Honey (@MikeHoney_) – August 6, 2023; Pic.twitter.com/u0AOISy8Ck : http://t.co.pw.9wVv5KDCmN.
The identification of new variants like Eris in France as more resistant to antibodies has been ongoing since the Omicron era, and these have “immune escape properties,” according to Sofonea. However, the current epidemic’s increase indicates that the virus is still evolving.
‘No more severe varieties’.
The situation is still in check, with hospitals, particularly intensive care units, not being affected. Flahault notes that healthcare systems in the countries where this variant has been detected are no more severe than those before Omicron. “In particular, healthcare networks are less saturated than before,” he said.
Despite this, experts caution that governments should be cautious and plan ahead to avoid an unwelcome situation in a few months. Sofonea predicts that traffic will increase significantly for healthcare systems by the autumn, and flu and bronchiolitis epidemics may occur during this time.
Covid persists in its search for answers, with hopes for a breakthrough.
Several solutions have been suggested to limit the virus’ spread. According to Flahault, improving indoor air quality could prevent the development of Covid-19 waves similar to the seasonal flu. She suggests wearing FFP2 masks in closed and unwell environments that are open to everyone.
Flahault believes that vaccination is still essential. Although the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines appears to decrease over time, a booster vaccine in autumn would lower the risk of serious disease infections. The health ministry has announced plans for reintroducing vaccination campaigns targeting Cov-19 and the flu from mid-October.
The article has been translated from the original into French.
Get essential international news by subscribing to our daily newsletter every day.