Key points

Week 1: strong increase in the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and a rise in new hospital and intensive care admissions, putting the hospital system under significant strain.

• Metropolitan France:

  • Incidence rate highest among 20-29 year-olds (>5,200/100,000 inhabitants) and 10-19 year olds (>4,500)

  • Incidence rate >2,000 in all regions

  • New hospital and intensive care admissions increasing in most regions

  • Rise in hospital admissions less substantial in this wave, compared to the increase in incidence

  • Stable proportion of 0-17 year olds among patients hospitalised for COVID-19

• Overseas France:

  • Incidence rate >2,000 in all regions

  • Hospital admission rates very high in French Guiana, Mayotte and Reunion Island.

Variants

• 89% of screened tests showed a profile compatible with the Omicron variant in week 1

• Omicron accounted for 65% of the interpretable sequences in the week 52 Flash Survey of 27 December 2021

Prevention

• Vaccination on 11 January 2022 (Vaccin Covid data):

  • 77.6% of the French population had received a complete primary vaccination series

  • 55.7% of the 18+ age group (representing 66.8% of those eligible) and 76.4% of the 65+ age group (85.5% of those eligible) had received a booster shot

• Importance of combining measures:

  • Complete vaccination series with a booster at 3 months

  • Compliance with preventive measures including wearing a mask and reducing contacts, along with other precautionary recommendations such as frequent ventilation of enclosed spaces, working from home and adherence to contact tracing