Delta variant: the Scientific Council calls for tougher measures, Macron speaks on Monday

Published on : 07/09/2021 – 5:45 pm

A turn of the sanitary screw to block the Delta variant. While Emmanuel Macron is considering new health measures and must address the French in a speech at 8 p.m. Monday, the Scientific Council demanded, Friday July 9, the application of preventive measures including the compulsory vaccination of caregivers as well as restrictions located in the most affected areas, which could be put in place as early as this summer.

The Delta variant, “60% more contagious than the strains which circulated until now”, is progressing rapidly in Europe, and already represents “not far from 50%” of contaminations in France “, explained Friday the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran In its last point, Santé Publique France deplores a “deterioration of the situation, after several weeks of improvement of the indicators” – Thursday evening, there were 4,442 new contaminations, that is to say 70% more than a week earlier He also notes a “marked increase in the incidence rate, particularly among 15/44 year olds.” The rapid spread among young people worries, against the backdrop of the reopening of nightclubs Friday evening.

The scientific council warns, in its opinion published Friday, that a “fourth wave linked to the Delta variant could occur quickly, with an impact on the care system, despite a high level of vaccination”, deemed “insufficient”. “The epidemic can only be controlled with 90% to 95% of people vaccinated or infected”, warns the instance. Thursday evening, there were 52% of French people vaccinated with a first dose and 39% completely. The government is targeting two-thirds of adults fully vaccinated by the end of August.

Reinforced tracing and compulsory vaccination

Confident in the fact that these objectives will be achieved, the Council nevertheless recommends stepping up the strategy of tracing and isolating Covid-19 cases and “monitoring the impact of Delta on hospitalizations”, in England, Scotland , Ireland and Portugal, “whose speed of increase (+ 20% of hospitalizations per week in England) would constitute an important warning signal”.

We still need to intensify but also target the vaccination campaign more, by going in particular towards “an obligation to vaccinate caregivers”, a category where the coverage rate is “too low” especially in nursing homes (retirement homes) with “half” of the staff covered, says the board.

Even the controversial professor Didier Raoult repeated, Friday in a tweet, “in favor of the systematic vaccination of nursing staff, with the vaccines recommended for their age group”. The government is working on a bill on this subject: it could be adopted as early as next week in the Council of Ministers and voted on before the end of July.

This obligation “could be extended to other categories,” such as “caregivers”, “personal services” and other non-health professionals, according to the council. “More than 90% of nursing home residents” were vaccinated “at the beginning of April”, but international studies show the absence of antibodies even after two doses in around 30% of these populations, which “justifies” the administration of a third dose, he adds.

A return of restrictions ?

The Council is concerned about the level of vaccination of “over 60 years, people at risk between 40 and 60 years”, and “young people at risk, in particular obese”. Only 50% of obese people “would be vaccinated”. “If people wait until the start of the school year to get vaccinated, it will be too late,” epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet, member of the Scientific Council, insisted on RTL. We have “an absurd situation, we had more than 100,000 deaths and alongside that, a vaccine which is very effective and free”.

According to models from the Institut Pasteur cited in the opinion, even with a coverage rate of 30% for 12/17 year olds, 70% for 18 to 59 year olds, 90% for those over 60, “A peak in hospitalizations, similar to the peak in autumn 2020, could be observed, in the absence of control measures”. Vaccination rates higher than what France is currently experiencing.

To contain the variant, the Scientific Council also recommends a lowering of the gauge (currently set at 1,000 people) for events subject to a health pass (vaccination or negative test) and “partial restrictive measures” in the most areas. affected, “including in July and August and in holiday areas, as was recently done in Portugal”. The body also mentions the possibility of a vaccination pass to access restaurants, cultural or sports activities, and which would exempt the immune from new restrictions in the event of a fourth wave.

With AFP