Key points

In week 40, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 increased again throughout metropolitan France, with a further rise in hospital admissions.

• Metropolitan France:

  • Incidence rate above 500/100,000 inhabitants at national level

  • Increasingly marked rise in incidence rate among the elderly

  • Incidence rate stable among 0-9 year-olds and falling again among 10-19 year-olds

  • Number of deaths on the rise

• Overseas France:

  • Incidence rate falling or stable at low levels in all territories

Variants

• Omicron sub-lineages: BA.5 omnipresent, accounting for 89% of sequences in the week 39 Flash Survey (26 September)

Prevention

• Vaccination on 10 October 2022 (Vaccin Covid data):

  • 74.4% of the population aged 18+ and 82.5% of the 65+ age group had received a first booster dose

  • 30.4% of 60-79 year-olds (representing 35.9% of those who are eligible given the time since their last injection) and 37.7% of people aged 80+ (49.3% of those who are eligible) had received a second booster dose

• Given the intense circulation of SARS-CoV-2, compliance with the combined measures remains crucial:

  • up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster dose of bivalent vaccine (protecting against the original strain and the Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2) for eligible individuals already vaccinated with a primary course;

  • self-isolation in case of a positive test for COVID-19 and/or symptoms;

  • continued application of precautionary measures, including wearing a face mask, particularly around vulnerable people and in enclosed spaces favourable to transmission (public transport, large gatherings, etc.), frequent hand washing and ventilation of interiors.