Covid-19 variants are gaining ground in France. As the preliminary results of a flash investigation carried out by Pr. Bruno Lina and unveiled this Thursday February 4, 2021 on BFMTV show. Led on January 26 and 27, 2021 the study shows the spread of Covid-19 variants is increasing, but is not “skyrocketing” the professor and member of the Scientific Committee says. “The variants’ diffusion rates are set circa 14% in France” he explains.
Yet, there are what the virologist calls “regional differences” in France. “Knowing that there are more of them in Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is in the bottom part of the average, circa 10%” the professor claims. Variants have been spreading more or less intensely, and the trend is confirmed when you give a look at the percentage of new infection cases found with the novel strains of coronavirus. According to Lima, these results are surprising and far better than what he expected. “The French are astounding” he says enthusiastically to AFP.
But what are Covid-19 variants? Asked about it, the virologist doctor sums the situation up to Lyon Capitale. “There are several variants. We currently have a variant that takes all our time, the UK variant, there is also a variant from South Africa, another from Brazil, and potentially one from the United-States” he says in a nutshell. “To understand the impact of this variant, one should know if in the situation we currently are, there is a risk for the epidemic to break out again because of this new variant. And it also depends on the rapidity of the variant’s dispersion or not”.
Many people are worried about it since data remain vague. “Today data clearly show we are on a sort of crest line” the doctor explains. “A line very difficult to analyze to be able say: next week, we are sure it will go wrong or on the contrary, we are sure nothing will happen” the virologist claims.
