Key points

In week 45, the incidence rate based on antigen tests was on a stabilising trend. New hospital admissions and number of deaths continued to decline.

• Metropolitan France:

  • A slowdown in the drop in incidence rate from antigen tests corrected for the public holiday (11/11)

  • Increase in the incidence and positivity rates based on antigen tests in the under-20 age group

  • Less significant decrease in new hospital admissions

• Overseas France:

  • Corrected incidence rates based on antigen tests at low levels but rising in Martinique, French Guyana and Mayotte.

Variants

• Omicron sub-lineages: Mostly BA.5 with 93% of sequences in the week 43 Flash Survey (24/10)*

• Among the BA.5 sub-lineages, BQ.1.1 continues to rise (32% vs 25% in the week 42 Flash survey)

Prevention

• Vaccination on 14 November 2022 (Vaccin Covid data):

  • 82.7% of the population aged 65+ had received at least one booster dose.

  • 34.6% of 60-79 year-olds (representing 41.0% of those who are eligible given the date of their last injection) and 41.1% of those aged 80 and over (53.5% of those eligible) had received their second booster dose.

• Given the ongoing active circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and the approach of the winter season, compliance with the combined measures remains essential:

  • up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination, through a booster dose with a bivalent vaccine (against the initial strain and the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2) for eligible individuals already vaccinated with a primary course;

  • isolation in the event of a positive COVID-19 test and/or symptoms;

  • continued application of preventive measures, including wearing a face mask – particularly around people at risk of developing complications, as well as in enclosed spaces favourable to transmission (e.g. public transport) or during large gatherings – hand washing and ventilation of enclosed spaces.

* W44 data uninterpretable