While the number of people affected by the coronavirus has many consequences in schools, in companies or in transport, the peak of contamination has been reached, explained Professor Arnaud Fontanet, epidemiologist at the Pasteur Institute and member of the Scientific Council, this Monday on France Inter. “The worst-case scenario is moving away, the decline has begun. We have the feeling that the peak is passing before our eyes”, he assured.
“The number of Covid-19 infections will decrease considerably during the month of February”
According to him, “the peak of infections has passed these days, perhaps last week in the Ile-de-France region” and “a little later for the other French regions”. “The number of Covid-19 infections will decrease considerably during the month of February and in March we should be at a very low level”.
“The health disaster was avoided, in part thanks to the behavior of the French”
However, he clarified that it is “projections”, Who “take into account a number of assumptions”. According to him, “the health disaster was avoided, in part thanks to the behavior of the French”, because “we could have had a much worse situation if there had not been a collective effort since the beginning of January” who allowed the “reduction in the number of contacts”.
“Hospitals can be expected to remain very busy throughout the month of February”
However, Arnaud Fontanet warned that “hospital admissions could continue to increase for a few more days” due to “lag between infections and hospital admissions”. “Hospitals can be expected to remain very busy throughout the month of February”, he specified.
Omicron represents 90% of the variants tested
Arnaud Fontanet also specified that the Omicron variant “took over” on the Delta variant and corresponds to “90%” of the variants tested, even if “it is not said that this balance will remain”. “It is not excluded that the Delta variant will rise in the coming weeks while remaining at much lower levels” than currently, the epidemiologist cautiously warned.