The presence of various variants has led to a sharp increase in covid-19 cases, to around 80 new infections per day. The figures of the last 000 hours seem to encourage this trend: + 24 cases in 5 hours. According to the weekly report from Public Health France, the number of deaths from Covid-070 is also increasing with 24 people dying in 19 hours. In addition, more than 25 new hospitalizations took place over the last 24 days, a record since the end of November. Regarding the vaccination campaign, 2 people have already been vaccinated against Covid-847.

• May 9: the new stage of deconfinement is approaching

The reopening of sports halls, the interior of restaurants and bars or even the curfew which switches to 23 pm, this is one more step towards a return to “normal”. Museums and cultural events will also be able to accommodate more people with higher gauges than today.

• “The epidemiological situation is unfavorable” in the moors

According to the ARS, the Landes department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, has a worrying incidence rate. The latter would be 95,6 per 100.000 inhabitants, a considerable increase of 35% in less than three weeks. The “Delta” (Indian) variant is believed to be at the origin of this upsurge.

Government measures

• On March 31, 2021, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron announced a new confinement starting on April 3 with the consequences of the closure of schools for 3 weeks. Schoolchildren will be able to return to school from April 26, middle school and high school students from May 3. Teleworking should be systematic whenever possible. Travel is prohibited beyond 10km from home unless there is a compelling reason. Inter-regional travel is also prohibited.
• On February 09, the state of health emergency is extended in France until June 1, 2021.
• On January 29, new strengthening measures were announced. Non-food shopping centers of more than 20m000 can no longer open. Travel outside the European Union is no longer authorized, except for compelling reasons. Any traveler entering the European area must also present a negative PCR test. Finally, teleworking should be reinforced in companies when possible.
• On January 14, 2021, Prime Minister Jean Castex declared that the national curfew would extend to all of France, from 18 p.m. The latter had so far only been applied in about fifteen departments.

From October 30 to December 15, the French population was confined for the second time, for a period of six weeks:

• until further notice, teleworking should be privileged as much as possible;
• some sectors can continue their activities, unlike the first confinement, such as construction, factories, farms and public services;
• certain outdoor public places remain open, such as parks, beaches and gardens as well as certain establishments, such as nurseries, schools, colleges and high schools, with reinforced protocols (wearing a mask from six years old, procedure hygiene and ventilation of the premises, working hours, etc.).
• so-called “essential” businesses are open;
• visits to nursing homes are authorized if visitors strictly comply with health regulations;
• so-called “non-essential” businesses are closed (bookstores, hairdressers, etc.) as well as universities, higher education centers, establishments open to the public, bars, restaurants, shopping centers, sports halls , cinemas, theaters or even amusement parks. However, on November 28, businesses will be able to resume their activities;
• French travelers can return to France, but must provide a negative result in the PCR test.

On October 29, the white plan was launched in hospitals by the Minister of Solidarity and Health, Olivier Véran. The aim of this specific plan is to mobilize human, material and logistical resources in order to respond quickly to a health crisis situation.

Containment

Following the announcements of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, on November 24, the containment measures remain in force until December 15, as well as the exceptional travel certificate. However, from November 28:

• travel is authorized within a radius of 20 km around his home, for a maximum of 3 hours;
• businesses, booksellers, librarians and record stores will resume their activities, applying a strict health protocol;
• extra-curricular outdoor activities may resume.

As of December 15, insofar as the health objectives have been reached, i.e. 5 new infections per day and between 000 and 2 intensive care admissions:

• confinement can be lifted and will be replaced by a curfew, from 21 p.m. to 7 a.m. However, an exception will be made for December 24 and 31;
• cinemas, theaters and museums will be able to reopen, with a strict protocol.

On January 20, if the conditions are right, restaurants, bars and gyms can reopen. In high schools, face-to-face lessons will take place, then in universities, two weeks later.

The new confinement in France has been in place since October 29 at midnight and planned for a period of four weeks.The situation is reassessed every two weeks and the measures are adjusted according to the circulation of the coronavirus. Deconfinement is not topical, according to Prime Minister Jean Castex. For the time being, only businesses would be authorized to reopen around December 1, with a reinforced health protocol. The lifting of confinement will be rather gradual, with a potential opening of bars and restaurants in early 2021. In addition, travel certificates for the end-of-year celebrations are being considered for the end-of-year celebrations.

On December 15, confinement ended, allowing the French to move again without certification.

The exceptional travel certificate

Each person must continue to fill out an exceptional travel certificate, until December 15. It is downloadable or can be generated via the Tous Anti-Covid application (application which replaces StopCovid) in digital format. Authorized trips are those made:

• between the home and the place of exercise of the professional activity or an educational or training establishment; business trips that cannot be postponed; travel for a competition or examination (to be used for self-employed workers, when they cannot have proof of travel established by their employer);
• to go to an authorized cultural establishment or place of worship; travel to purchase goods, for services the provision of which is authorized, for order withdrawals and home deliveries.
• consultations and care that cannot be provided remotely and cannot be postponed and the purchase of medicines;
• for compelling family reasons, for assistance to vulnerable and precarious people or childcare;
• travel for people with disabilities and their companions;
• for walks, physical activity or individual leisure in the open air or to an outdoor location, without changing the place of residence, within the limit of three hours per day and within a maximum radius of twenty kilometers around the home, at the exclusion of any collective sporting practice and any proximity to other people, either for a walk with only people grouped together in the same home, or for the needs of pets.
• for judicial or administrative summons and appointments in a public service;
• to participate in missions of general interest at the request of the administrative authority;
• to look for children at school and during their extracurricular activities.

In addition, permanent supporting documents are available for school or professional travel, given that the schools remain open.

In the event of non-compliance with the confinement rules, a fine of € 135 will be applied, up to € 3 in the event of a repeat offense.

The key numbers

As of June 7, France lists:

• 5 new confirmed cases (since the day before)
• 2 people hospitalized, including 847 serious cases in intensive care
• 83 people have died in hospital since the start of the epidemic (+601 in 25 hours) and 24 deaths in total
• 374 people have been discharged from the hospital since the start of the epidemic (+416 in 135 hours)

The coronavirus region by region

The clusters

In the context of the epidemic, the clusters correspond to the sources of contamination of Covid-19. In France, as of December 1, Santé Publique France indicates that 3 clusters are under investigation, including 724 in nursing homes.

The reproduction rate of the coronavirus

The reproduction rate of the virus, also called R or R Effective, is estimated based on several data:

• virological with RT-PCR tests (SI-DEP)
• emergency passages (OSCOUR®)
• hospitalizations ((SI-VIC)

When the R is greater than 1, it means that the epidemic is progressing. If it is equal to 1, the epidemic stabilizes whereas it decreases if the effective rate is less than 1. In the weekly report of November 26 of Public Health, the R is less than 1 in metropolitan France: 0,56, XNUMX.

Covid screening

The benchmark screening test in France is the RT-PCR test. It consists of a nasopharyngeal sample. Nearly 600 laboratories are able to perform these tests to detect Covid-19, for a capacity of 2 million tests per week, according to the Minister of Health Olivier Véran. In week 47, from November 16 to 22, the test positivity rate is decreasing: it goes from 16,3% in week 46 to 13%. In addition, more and more people are being trained to perform the RT-PCR test, making this practice a real future profession.

Since September 16, in order to facilitate access to tests, a prioritization system has been put in place. Priorities are:

• People with a medical prescription
• Symptomatic people
• Contacts at risk
• Health professionals

“MobilTest” or screening boxes also circulate in stations, such as in the Ile-de-France region, or in the countryside, to carry out tests. The aim is to reduce waiting times and make screening accessible to as many people as possible.

Antigenic tests are also deployed in France, in particular in nursing homes and universities. They give a very quick result, between 10 and 15 minutes. Pharmacies, on a voluntary basis, support laboratories by also offering screening tests.

Reminder of barrier gestures

Since the start of the epidemic, prevention has been one of the most effective ways to curb the spread of the virus. Applying barrier gestures is essential to protect oneself and the most vulnerable people at risk of developing serious forms of Covid-19. People considered fragile are those:

• aged over 65;
• who have a history of cardiovascular disease;
• who are obese (BMI over 30) or unbalanced diabetes;
• who have a rare, complex disease or congenital or acquired immunosuppression;
• women in the third trimester of pregnancy.

During the health crisis, these people can ask to be placed in partial activity or benefit from a work arrangement, if teleworking is not possible. As a reminder, teleworking is strongly recommended by the health authorities, for activities in which it is possible, 5 days out of 5.

Everyone, and in particular fragile people, must apply barrier gestures, such as regular hand disinfection, ventilation of the premises or the home, physical distancing, wearing a mask and avoiding close contact (hugs without shaking hands).

Symptoms

The main symptoms are now well known, similar to those of a cold or the flu: fever, dry cough, headache, fatigue and aches, which can be accompanied by sore throat and diarrhea.

They have evolved, showing that Covid-19 could alter the skin by causing hives or frostbite to appear on the ends of the fingers or toes (covid feet). Another symptom of Covid is loss of taste and smell.

The serious clinical signs, which should alert and lead to call the SAMU on 15, are shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing as well as the feeling of tightness or pain in the chest.

In the event of symptoms, you should remain isolated and contact your doctor by phone. This gives the procedure to follow.

Remember that some people infected with the coronavirus are asymptomatic (no symptoms).

Therapeutic advances and Covid vaccines

Vaccines end of December – beginning of January

France and its European neighbors have already ordered, from 6 laboratories (Pfizer, Sanofi, Moderna, CureVac, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson), 1,5 billion doses of which 15% will be intended for the French. The supply would therefore be secure. Pharmaceutical companies will first have to validate clinical trials and receive the agreement of drug agencies, and in France, the opinion of the Haute Autorité de Santé. To ensure full transparency, Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a “collective of citizens”.

Russia confirms 95% efficacy of its Sputnik V vaccine

Sputnik-V, the vaccine developed by the Gamaleïa laboratory in Moscow, is a “viral vector” vaccine administered in two injections. The vaccine has been tested on 40 volunteers, whose trials are randomized double-blind. According to the preliminary results of phase 000, obtained after a first injection, Gamaleïa has announced an efficacy of its vaccine at 3%. It can be stored at a temperature of 95-2 ° C. The price per dose will be less than $ 8 and free for Russians.

AstraZeneca vaccine

The British laboratory AstraZeneca announced, according to the interim results of its clinical trials, that its vaccine was effective on average at 70%. It uses traditional technology, based on an adenovirus. Its storage is therefore easier, compared to its competitors Pfizer / BioNtech and Moderna. It is the first vaccine to be validated by a scientific journal (The Lancet).

Modern Vaccine

The European Union has reached an agreement with the American laboratory Moderna, whose vaccine is 94,5% effective. Phase 3 clinical trials include 30 volunteers in the United States. The laboratory uses innovative technology, based on messengerRNA. This method involves sending a genetic message to the body to elicit an immune response. Less than 000% of volunteers had mild side effects, such as fatigue, stiffness or redness at the injection site.

According to a press release from the Moderna laboratory, 100 to 125 million doses of the anti-covid vaccine will be available for the 1st quarter of 2021, the majority of which are intended for the US. “Between 85 and 100 million of these doses will be reserved in the United States, and between 15 to 25 million to the rest of the world” specifies the American biotechnology company, adding that 20 million doses would be available for the United States before the end of the year.

Pfizer vaccine

The Pfizer laboratory, in partnership with BioNtech (German), is the first to announce a 90% efficacy of its RNA vaccine. Clinical trials involve more than 40 volunteers. On November 000, Pfizer-BioNtech submitted an emergency authorization request for its vaccine candidate to the US Medicines Agency. The United Kingdom is the first Western country to start its vaccination campaign, benefiting from the Pfizer-BioTech vaccine.

• On December 31, 2019, China informed the World Health Organization of several cases of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan.
• On January 7, the new coronavirus was identified by Chinese health authorities.
• On January 15, a 69-year-old man died of Covid-19.
• On January 25, the first cases of coronavirus were reported in France: 2 in Paris and 1 in Bordeaux.
• On January 30, the WHO declared a state of health emergency.
• On February 28, stage 2 of the epidemic was declared in France and stage 3 on March 14.
• March 17 is the first day of confinement in France, with the closure of “non-essential” businesses, nurseries and schools. Each citizen must have an exceptional travel certificate for each authorized trip.
• On March 26, a 16-year-old girl died of Covid-19.
• May 11 is the start date of deconfinement in France.
• On June 22, schools can open as well as cinemas.
• On July 20, wearing a mask is compulsory in all closed public places.
• On October 8, the white plan was reactivated in hospitals.
• On October 17, the Assembly reestablished the state of emergency until February 16, on the recommendations of the government. Put in place on October 17, it makes it possible to apply measures to restrict movement, gatherings and openings and closings of establishments, as well as containment measures. A curfew is imposed in the metropolitan areas of Paris, Rouen, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Montpellier, Saint-Etienne, Toulouse as well as in Ile-de-France.
• On October 24, the curfew extended to 38 French departments, for a total of 54 constituencies concerned.
• On October 30, the French population, nationally, is confined for the second time, until December 15.
• On November 28, non-essential businesses reopen their doors to the public.
• On December 15, France is deconfigured, the French are therefore free to move on the national territory without certificate. A curfew from 20 p.m. to 6 a.m. comes into effect.
• On January 16, the 18 p.m. curfew is extended to all of France. Anyone leaving without a certificate incurs a fine.