Key Points

In Week 08, virological indicators continued to rise slightly but remained at low levels. Indicators of emergency department visits stabilized. New hospitalizations continued to decline.

• Mainland France:

  • Incidence rates stable or slightly increasing in most age groups

  • Positivity rate slightly up

  • Incidence and positivity rates stable or slightly increasing in most regions

  • Hospitalization rates are declining in most regions

• Overseas territories:

  • Incidence and positivity rates slightly decreasing in Réunion

  • Hospitalization rates are decreasing or stable at a very low level

Variants

• BA.5 remained the dominant variant but continued to decline (55% of sequences in the Flash S06 survey); the same was true for its sublineage BQ.1.1 (43% for Flash S06 vs. 49% for S05)

• The XBB recombinant increased to 34% (vs. 26% for Flash S05), with 26% being XBB.1.5 (vs. 20%)

Prevention

• Vaccination as of February 27, 2023 (Covid Vaccine data):

  • 22.8% of those aged 60–79 had received a booster tailored to the Omicron variant (26.8% of those eligible); these figures were 25.5% and 29.1%, respectively, among those aged 80 and older;

  • 26.8% of those aged 60–79 and 16.1% of those aged 80 and older had received a dose within the past 6 and 3 months, respectively.

• Given the continued circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal viruses, it remains recommended to adhere to the following combined measures:

  • up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster dose with a bivalent vaccine (against the original strain and the Omicron variant) for those eligible who have received their primary series, as well as against the flu;

  • continued adherence to preventive measures, particularly in the event of a positive test result and/or symptoms.

Learn more

• See our report on the COVID-19 pandemic

• Go directly to the graphs and tables of indicators on InfoCovidFrance

• Visit our page on variants

• View all national epidemiological updates