Key points

In week 4, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 slowed at national level but epidemiological and hospital indicators remain very high.

• Metropolitan France:

  • Incidence rate falling or stable in most regions, but rising in the 70+ age group

  • New hospital and intensive care admissions stable or increasing in most regions

  • Confirmation of the situation’s improvement in Île-de-France

  Overseas France:

  • Highest incidence and hospitalisation rates in Reunion Island

Contact tracing

• In the 75+ age group, almost one in five cases had frequented a long-term care facility (indicator increasing for the second consecutive week)

Variants

• Omicron accounted for 97% of interpretable sequences in the Flash Survey of 17 January for week 3

• BA.2 sub-lineage a small minority but increasing (2% on 17/01/22 vs 0.9% on 10/01/22)

Prevention

• CoviPrev Survey (wave 31: 11–18 January 2022):

  • 33% of parents in favour of vaccinating their 5-11 year-old children

  • Mental health still poor, with one-third of respondents experiencing anxiety or depression

• Vaccination on 1 February 2022 (Vaccin Covid data):

  • 78.6% of the French population had received a complete primary vaccination series

  • 67.2% of the 18+ age group (representing 77.5% of those eligible) and 81.4% of the 65+ age group (89.7% 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