Key points

In week 2, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 remained very intense; although the increase in new cases was less substantial, hospital services remain under heavy strain.

• Metropolitan France:

  • Incidence rates highest among 10-19 year-olds (>5,500/100,000 inhabitants) and 30-39 year olds (>4,200)

  • Screening rate declining and positivity rate still very high

  • Strong disparities in hospitalisation rates at regional level

• Overseas France:

  • High incidence rates in Guadeloupe (>4,500) and Reunion Island (>3,800)

  • High rate of new hospital admissions in French Guiana

Contact tracing

• 97% of cases are contacted by the Health Insurance on the day of their identification or the following day (by SMS in 91% of cases)

• Among the cases called, there was a decrease in the number of contacts identified per case

Variants

• 96% of screened tests showed a profile compatible with the Omicron variant in week 2

• Omicron accounted for 80% of interpretable sequences in the week 1 Flash Survey on 3 January 2022 (preliminary data)

Prevention

• Vaccination on 18 January 2022 (Vaccin Covid data):

  • 78.0% of the French population had received a complete primary vaccination series

  • 61.2% of the 18+ age group (representing 72.2% of those eligible) and 78.8% of the 65+ age group (87.6% 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