French hope they will exit the health crisis permanently this summer 2021. While France is enjoying the lifting of coronavirus epidemic-related restrictions that sound like the beginning of a new normal life, some of them yet fear a fourth epidemic wave. A prospect already causing hospitals to be concerned. Is this scenario likely? And if so, how to prevent it?
This Thursday May 13, 2021, Pr. Rémi Salomon – President of the APHP Medical Commission – addressed on RMC and BFMTV. In an interview with Jean-Jacques Bourdin, he admits the next four months will be hard to pass, describing a period “of uncertainties and risks”. But it is not all dark.
“Everything depends on the size of vaccination”, Pr. Salomon warns before developing: “If we vaccinate a lot, and that the French are reasonable, and we can ease off, but with precautions, we could spend the summer without a fourth wave”.
But the spread of the Delta variant is worrying and could even cause a fourth epidemic wave in Europe. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers this mutation - more contagious than the historic strain - could become dominant in the European Union by the end of August.
Coronavirus: variant Delta to dominate in the European Union by the end of August?
As the epidemic situation is improving in France, the spread of the variant Delta (ex-Indian) might cause a fourth wave. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, it might be dominant in the European Union by the end of August. [Read more]
Coronavirus: Delta variant now dominating in France
The fourth wave might hit France this summer. The coronavirus epidemic is experiencing a resurgence caused by the spread of an even more contagious Covid-19 strain: the Delta variant. This Friday July 9, 2021, Santé Publique France announced the Delta variant is officially dominating in France. [Read more]
Yet, although the scenario of a fourth wave is not to be ruled out, it should not be as strong as the previous ones. This Wednesday June 30, 2021, interview by France Inter, Professor Jean-François Delfraissy expects a fourth wave likely to be more moderate thanks to vaccination: "Vaccines are working against the delta variant if both injections have been given. Hence the message: you need to get vaccinated, and geth both injections by Fall". Epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet considers the fourth wave might be as big as the previous ones.
Covid: Pr. Delfraissy thinks the "4th wave will be much more moderate than the first three"
As France starts the last step of the lockdown exit process on June 30, Pr. Jean-François Delfraissy thinks "there will be a 4th wave" this fall "but more more moderate than the first 3". "Vaccines are working against the delta variant, if two injections have been given. Hence the message: you need to get vaccinated, and get both injections by Fall", the Head of the Scientific Committee insisted on this Wednesday morning on France Inter. [Read more]
Coronavirus – Delta variant: a fourth wave as big as the previous ones?
As the Delta variant is spreading swiftly in France, a fourth coronavirus epidemic wave grows likelier. According to Arnaud Fontanet, it can be as big as the previous ones. [Read more]
This Sunday July 4, Alain Fischer explained in JDD that "All will be decided in the two weeks to come", if one wishes to prevent "a fourth wave caused by the Delta variant, new surge in contacts, when school begins again, in an environment more likely to the virus".
This same Sunday July 4, head of Paris Georges-Pompidou hospital ER Philippe Juvin considered the arrival of a fourth Covid-19 wave is inevitable in France this Fall. In the United-Kingdom, it "goes up again because of the Delta variant. It is very, very likely we will experience the same thing (...] unless we can vaccinate the entire population until then, which is obviously difficult", he explained.
But the following week, the spread of the variant has considerably increased. Since Friday July 9, 2021, the variant is dominating in France and the fourth wave could hit the country this summer. This Monday July 12, 2021, a health defense council gathers to come up with a strategy to stop the Delta variant. Several leads are being considered including measures encouraging the French to get vaccinated.
