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
- 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
