According epidemiologist Antoine Flahault, allowing Covid-19 positive runners to stay in the race is counterproductivebecause few infected people are asymptomatic with the BA5 variant, currently the majority in France.
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As the Tour de France 2022 leaves Denmark on Friday, the Grande Boucle is threatened by the active circulation of Covid-19. To deal with this, the organization of the Tour has put in place a certain number of rules, such as keeping in the race, if they wish, riders positive for Covid-19.
>> Tour de France 2022: riders positive for Covid-19 may be authorized to stay in the race
For epidemiologist Antoine Flahault, questioned on Wednesday June 29 on franceinfo, the rule is counterproductive, because few infected people are asymptomatic with the BA5 variant, which is the majority in France.
This rule of the organization of the Tour de France is ju“amazing” gage by Antoine Flahault, because the virus will “put down” the runners “for three or four days”. “This will promote super spreads” virus “within the peloton”. The runners “should self-isolate” so as not to endanger the teams.
He also asks to put the mask back on “in all enclosed places, including transport”and to the authorities of“Improve indoor air quality”.
For Antoine Flahault, the masks must be put back in these closed places “until the peak of contamination goes down”. By closed places, he means all places “which receive the public, such as amphitheatres, meeting rooms and schools”. For the time being, the government is sticking to the recommendations, but does not again force people to wear the mask, especially in transport.