Several doctors and epidemiologists have assured it in recent days: the health situation is improving. “The worst-case scenario is slipping away” and “the decline has begun”, said epidemiologist and member of the scientific council Arnaud Fontanet, Monday, January 17 on France Inter. “There are reasons to be optimistic”, also said on Tuesday the government spokesman, Gabriel Attal, on CNews.
The number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 contamination continues to soar (425,183 were recorded on Thursday), but the drop in the incidence rate has begun in the territories which were the first affected by the wave. Omicron, such as Ile-de-France, Corsica or Mayotte. Above all, for the first time during this fifth vague, daily admissions to critical care units are down 5.7% the week of January 10 to 16 compared to the previous week, and scientists seem to agree on a lower severity of the Omicron variant compared to the Delta variant.
Prime Minister Jean Castex announced a timetable on Thursday which provides for the lifting of restrictions from February 2, a week after the implementation of the vaccination pass which is due to come into force on Monday. “There are good reasons to hope for a health improvement in the medium term”, said the Prime Minister, emphasizing the need for vaccination to protect the health system.
What are the encouraging signs in the current situation? What, on the contrary, are the signs that call for caution? Do we really have reason to think, as the Minister of Health Olivier Véran suggested at the beginning of January, that this fifth wave could be the last?
Mahmoud Zureik, professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Versailles – Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, answers your questions about the health situation from noon.
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