Key points

In week 4, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 slowed at the 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 are stable or increasing in most regions

  • Confirmation of the improving situation in Île-de-France

  Overseas France:

  • Highest incidence and hospitalization rates on Réunion Island

Contact tracing

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

Variants

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

• BA.2 sublineage represents a small minority but is increasing (2% on 01/17/22 vs. 0.9% on 01/10/22)

Prevention

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

  • 33% of parents support vaccinating their 5–11-year-old children

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

• Vaccination as of February 1, 2022 (Covid Vaccine 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 shot after 3 months

  • Compliance with preventive measures, including wearing a mask and limiting social contacts, along with other precautionary recommendations such as frequent ventilation of enclosed spaces, working from home, and adherence to contact tracing