Key points

In week 8, the epidemic situation continued to improve; all virological and hospital indicators were decreasing but remained at high levels.

• Metropolitan France:

  • Incidence and positivity rates declining in all age groups and all regions

  • New hospital admissions were lower in all regions

  Overseas France:

  • Decrease in incidence and hospital admission rates, but indicators remain high on Réunion Island

Contact tracing

• Decrease in the number of contact cases (-29%) and contacts at risk (-24%)

• Number of contacts reported per case remains stable at a low level (on average, 1.0 contact person per case identified)

Variants

• Omicron accounted for 99.6% of interpretable sequences in the Flash Survey of February 14 for week 7

• BA.2 sublineage increasing (25% in week 7, 15.4% in week 6)

Prevention

• CoviPrev Survey (wave 32, February 7–14, 2022)

  • Stabilization of reported adherence to the booster shot

  • Mental health remains poor: 70% of respondents reported sleep problems

• Vaccination as of March 1, 2022 (Covid Vaccine Data):

  • 79.3% of the French population had completed a primary vaccination series

  • 72.5% of the 18+ age group (representing 82.5% of those eligible) and 82.7% of the 65+ age group (90.9% of those eligible) had received a booster shot

• Importance of combining measures:

  • Complete the vaccination series with a booster shot after 3 months

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