Key points

In week 5, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 continued to decline in France, with a lower number of new admissions to hospital, but indicators remained at high levels.

• Metropolitan France:

  • Incidence rates falling in all regions

  • Positivity rates still increasing in the 60+ age group

  • Hospital indicators starting to drop in most regions

  • Excess all-cause mortality observed in France since November, linked to the magnitude of the fifth wave

  Overseas France:

  • Virological and hospital indicators decreasing but remain high 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 98.8% of interpretable sequences in the week 4 Flash Survey of 24 January.

• BA.2 sub-lineage remains a minority but is increasing (5.4% on 24/01/22 vs 1.9% on 17/01/22)

Prevention

• Vaccination on 8 February 2022 (Vaccin Covid data):

  • 78.9% of the French population had completed a primary vaccination series

  • 69.3% of the 18+ age group (representing 79.4% of those eligible) and 82.3% of the 65+ age group (90.3% 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