After curfew was called on October 23 in several big cities, followed by a new nationwide lockdown implemented since October 30, where is the coronavirus epidemic at in France? The new Covid-19 case toll remains high. Thus, according to the latest report, in 24 hours, 328 people have died and 35,879 people tested positive. The number of hospitalizations remains worrying with over 2,500 new hospitalizations recorded this Wednesday and over 4,800 patients infected with Covid-19 in intensive care.
Despite these data, Olivier Véran tried to be reassuring and optimistic. This past November 8, the Health Minister said measures made “enabled to get a form of decrease in the spread of the epidemic”, speaking of a “slight tremor”, adding it is then “too early to assess the impact of the new lockdown”.
And as several doctors are still trying to be highly cautious as for the effects of the new lockdown, a specialist thinks France has regained control on the Coronavirus epidemic. it is Swiss epidemiologist Antoine Flahaut.
How can the head of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva can make it to such conclusions? Pr. Antoine Flahaut relies on coronavirus famous R reproduction rate. Today, it reaches 0.93 according to data delivered by Santé Publique France as it was 1.42 on October 29, before lockdown was implemented. “Two weeks in lockdown, and we can see control has been regained on the epidemic. We no longer have to do with this exponential curve. If the R moves below 0.7 or 0.6, the descent will be swift and we can hope than within 15 days, there will be under 5,000 cases” the specialist says on BFMTV.
Yet, France has exceeded the 40,000-death mark. The Swiss epidemiologist is expecting – in the next couple of days – a high death toll. He says: “unfortunately, there is a period of time between the rise of cases and severe morbidity. We have to expect that severe morbidity – naming cases in intensive care – but also deaths unfortunately – keeps on growing perhaps in the next seven days”.
But this optimistic opinion shall not encourage the French to let go of their efforts. This is what thinks Georges-Pompidou hospital head of the emergency department Philippe Juvin. “Hospitals are full, they are so full we’ve had to cancel patients who have other pathologies. It is truly not time to say “it’s alright, we can go and party”, this is not true” he says on BFMTV.
What does the French government think about the current health situation then? Will the latest data shared encourage the executive to soften up, sustain or toughen up the current health measures? For the record, Prime Minister Jean Castex has to address on Thursday November 12 at 6 p.m. during a new press conference. According to France Info, the government is said to keep up with the initial measures and urges the French to comply with the lockdown implemented until December 1.
