COVID-19: Epidemiological Update for December 16, 2021

Key Points

In week 49, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 continued, with hospital indicators still on the rise.

  • Mainland France:

    • Incidence rates higher than the peaks of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th waves

    • Highest incidence rates among 6-10-year-olds (>1,000/100,000), 11-14-year-olds, and 30-39-year-olds (>700)

    • New hospitalizations and critical care admissions at levels lower than the first three hospital waves, but rising in most regions

  • Overseas territories:

    • Reunion Island: Incidence rates and hospital indicators on the rise in Reunion

Variants

  • Flash Survey S48 (11/29): 99% of cases identified as the Delta variant through sequencing

  • 310 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in France as of 12/16 at 4:00 PM

  • Moderate circulation of the B.1.640 variant in the country

Contact tracing

  • Adaptation of the contact-tracing system to handle the very high number of new cases: indicators to be interpreted with caution

Prevention

  • CoviPrev survey (wave 30: Nov. 30–Dec. 7, 2021):

    • Overwhelming majority of adults have been vaccinated, including booster shots (90%)

    • 94% of vaccinated individuals intend to get tested if they have had a high-risk exposure, compared to 74% of unvaccinated individuals

    • Improved systematic adherence to preventive measures

  • Vaccination status as of December 14, 2021 (Covid Vaccine data):

    • 78.0% of the total population had received at least one dose, and 76.4% were fully vaccinated

    • Among those aged 65 and older, 60.5% had received a booster dose; this rate rose to 82.0% among eligible individuals in this age group

  • Importance of combined measures: vaccination and boosters, participation in contact tracing, and adherence to preventive measures, to protect the healthcare system

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