2023-10-06 07:07:36
Covid-19 is still circulating: last week, the incidence rate of cases presenting respiratory problems in general medicine practices was estimated at 85 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, or 56,619 new cases. However, we have almost forgotten it , this virus. According to Jacques Reynes, head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at Montpellier University Hospital, “as the virus is often asymptomatic, people do not realize… They have the impression of having a simple cold. And they disperse the virus. »For epidemiologist Mircea Sofonea, “it is absolutely essential that all stakeholders, and on the front line, the biomedical community, continue, with extreme attention, to observe the circulation of this virus”.
The Covid-19 has not disappeared. If the epidemic indicators, which we saw panicking day after day three years ago, have been extinguished, the virus still circulating. Of course, not as much as at the height of the pandemic. But in recent weeks, almost all of us have been surprised to learn that a work colleague, a friend or a loved one had contracted this disease. According to the Sentinels networklast week, the incidence rate of Covid-19 cases presenting respiratory problems in general medicine practices was estimated at 85 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, or 56,619 new cases in seven days.
However, we all seem to have forgotten it, this damn Covid-19, which made us sweat for almost two years. So we no longer “check” each other, we kiss kisses again in cafes and we shake hands without trembling at work. And that, unfortunately, “contributes to the circulation of the virus”, deplores 20 Minutes Professor Jacques Reynes, specialist in infectious diseases at Montpellier University Hospital (Hérault). “As the virus is very often asymptomatic, people do not realize… They have the impression of having a simple cold,” regrets the doctor. And they disperse the virus. »
“We had to switch to a less intensive regime. And less expensive, too”
If the population has moved on a little too quickly on Covid-19, the public authorities, too, no longer seem to pay the same attention to it as they did a few years ago. Certainly, in September, Aurélien Rousseau, the Minister of Health, called for vigilance. “The virus is circulating, each of us can see cases around us. The epidemic is there,” he declared to AFP, to justify his decision to bring forward the vaccination campaign against Covid-19 by a few weeks, in order to cope with the sudden resumption of traffic. of the virus. But the intensity of public action is no longer the same.
But, basically, it is not abnormal, assures Mircea Sofonea, epidemiologist at the University of Montpellier, and specialist in infectious diseases. “The first three years, the effort was intense,” notes the epidemiologist. But in the long term, this was no longer tenable. We had to switch to a less intensive diet. Less expensive, too. » The problem, continues the researcher, is that “the reduction in this screening effort was accompanied by bias, which is not corrected”. One could have imagined, he emphasizes, that the State would maintain surveillance through random samples of the population, for example. But nothing was done. The monitoring of Covid-19 cases is completely unclear.
“Of course, politically, forcing people is not beneficial”
“It is absolutely essential that all stakeholders, and on the front line, the biomedical community, continue, with extreme attention, to observe the circulation of this virus,” continues Mircea Sofonea. But for researchers, it’s hard. Work on Covid-19 lacks resources and operational consideration, and is of less interest today in scientific publications, regrets the epidemiologist. As for political leaders, “they only do things when they are forced to,” regrets, for his part, Jacques Reynes. Of course, politically, forcing people is not really helpful. They wait until the disaster has arrived to deal with it. And then it would be difficult, today, to make everyone wear a mask again. »
But these anti-Covid-19 measures, widely touted on screens for two years, should be handled with a grain of salt. Because referring all the time to the virus can also be counterproductive. For Mircea Sofonea, “systematically returning, with each new variant, to this fear, this anxiety, is not necessarily a good idea. Over the long term, this can end up wearing you down and creating aversion among the population. You have to manage to dose it. Because there may very well be a strong epidemic resumption, with a very different variant, and there, we will need, to avoid pressure on an already well-tested health system, to mobilize the entire population. » So “if we cry wolf too often”, he continues, it is possible that she will get tired of it. Or worse, that it rejects any new anti-Covid-19 measures. And that would be very problematic in the event of a new large-scale epidemic. “I see it clearly, when I speak in the media, when I read the feedback on social networks… For a segment of the population, there is a rejection [des mesures anti-Covid-19], he notes. It must also be taken into account. »
“Stand in solidarity with those who are more vulnerable”
Although he refuses to fuel any anxiety while the majority of cases of Covid-19 are not serious, Mircea Sofonea nevertheless calls on the population to pay particular attention to the symptoms that they may manifest, to test themselves regularly, to respect barrier gestures when you are infected… “It is not a question of falling asleep with fear,” assures the researcher. But we must keep in mind that Covid-19 is still here. Not worrying about ourselves does not exempt us from remaining in solidarity with those who are more vulnerable, despite all their efforts. »
On Monday, a new vaccination campaign against Covid-19 began. If the injection is recommended, in particular for the most vulnerable people, anyone who wishes can request their dose, free of charge. But Jacques Reynes, who strongly urges seniors, in particular, to be vaccinated as soon as possible, fears, unfortunately, that “the general population does not necessarily feel concerned” by this reminder.
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