are too many tests carried out in France?

According to the queues in front of pharmacies and screening centers, all French people are tested. The week of Monday, January 3, 1.5 million tests were performed each day. The government wants to go further by creating screening points glued to the Covid-19 vaccination centers. Another avenue envisaged: allowing pharmacists to temporarily recruit health personnel, to relieve them.

But testing so many people, is it really effective? With Omicron, the situation has changed, according to Vincent Enouf, virologist at the Institut Pasteur: “Testing all the way is no longer necessarily very interesting from a virological point of view. ” The Directorate General of Health proposes to prioritize screening, reserving it for people at risk, symptomatic cases, holders of a prescription and those whose self-test is positive. In December, nearly 30 million tests were performed. Total cost for Medicare: one billion euros.