5th wave: “There is no reason to over-dramatize”, assures Professor Bruno Lina – LCI

A 5th wave or no 5th wave? While France is dangerously approaching 20,000 daily contaminations on Tuesday and its European neighbors announce in turn a return of health restrictions, some scientists including Professor Bruno Lina, virologist and member of the Scientific Council, want to be optimistic.

“We cannot deny the fact that there is an epidemic resumption”, he concedes at LCI’s microphone. “The indicators are all in an increasing phase. We are also in the most critical period in relation to the circulation of the virus because we are in a period of cold – period during which the virus is transmitted more easily. . “ Nevertheless, he nuances, “not all waves are created equal”.

With less than 8,000 people currently hospitalized, including nearly 1,300 in critical care, “there is no reason to overdramatize”, says Bruno Lina. “We are not facing a health disaster like during the 1st wave.”

The professor of virology wants to see further. “We have a whole series of trumps up our sleeves to avoid a spectacular resumption of hospitalization.” First of all: vaccination. With more than 76% of French people having received their double injection, “the French level of vaccination is among the highest in Europe.”

Not to mention the challenge of the 3rd dose for the elderly. “People over 65 who are currently receiving their vaccine booster regain protective immunity against Covid-19 and will 95% escape severe forms”, recalls Bruno Lina. “The interest is not so much to prevent the circulation of the virus that we obviously cannot block, but it is to prevent the development of serious forms.”

And the French have other cards in hand, further emphasizes the practitioner. “If you ventilate the room, think about hand hygiene, if you have your health pass and then all the behaviors like physical distancing, just by doing that, it is possible to slow the progression of the virus. . “

In short, don’t panic. “If we manage to combine all these actions put in place since the beginning of October, the models tell us that we can pass through an epidemic wave that will not have the consequences of what we have observed during the last four waves “, he concludes, a bit smiling.