The epidemic recovery of Covid in Côte-d’Or is confirmed, all indicators are on the rise. Should we worry about that? Who is the most affected? Should I put my mask back on? We are this Monday, September 26, with Aline Guibelin, departmental delegate of the Regional Health Agency in Côte-d’Or.
What is the situation in Côte-d’Or at the moment? Is the number of contaminations also increasing in our country?
Aline Gibelin : Yes, we are in a moment that is not very positive. We are at the beginning of this eighth wave. This means that more and more people have Covid, that is, what is called the incidence rate that has almost doubled in ten days. And then there is the positivity rate as well. When I do a test, what percentage of people have a positive result? We are at almost 25% currently, especially among the youngest, we can see it with the start of the university and school year. Therefore, the virus is actively circulating and we are in a propagation phase, at the beginning of a new wave.
Does this mean that hospitalized people are older people? Are they the first affected by this virus?
They will be soon. Today, we are lucky not to have an impact on hospitals and clinics yet. Above all, we have a virus that is one of the youngest, with fewer associated pathologies. The older ones will be impacted a little later, by their grandchildren, during the All Saints festivities. We know that mathematically we will have people who will end up in the hospital because we always have serious cases, but today we will say that the hospital remains preserved. On the other hand, we have the possibility of managing that non-appearance in the emergency room, in hospitals, in Covid services, and that is what is called prevention.
We are caught up in the double squeeze of the start of the school year and then the return of fall. So we are further in. Is that what is creating this new wave?
Yes too. Because you know the barrier gestures, we repeat them at will. You have to keep washing your hands. We must continue to put on the mask when we face fragile people, it is important. If you are visiting someone, you grands-parents or people who are immunosuppressed, specifically, you should wear a mask to protect them from the fact that you are susceptible to leur donner comme maladie, Covid or bronchitis, varai tell. But we can also work on ventilation and it’s a bit more complicated, I know, with the arrival of autumn and cooler temperatures. You have to open the windows, you have to wear the mask when there are fragile people, but also in closed spaces, so on public transport it is still a good thing. We must also continue to test ourselves when we are symptomatic.
Can we talk about a really strong epidemic recovery?
It is difficult to have a predictive vision. But at this stage, we are at the beginning of an increase that is strong, that is exponential. I don’t know if we’ll get as high as last time, when we went up to 1100 angle of attack, that’s a lot. There we are at 400. It can go very fast, in a week we can be at 900. So we don’t know exactly where we are going, as always, and that is why we have to try to be individually responsible. for trying to limit all that. We are still on Omicron and its variants, BA.1 and BA.5. We are beginning to have so-called “bivalent” vaccines, which are tailored to these sub-variants. If you are over 60 years old, a pregnant woman, a health professional, close to an immunosuppressed person, or immunosuppressed yourself, opt for this booster shot. Today only 30% of the population has done so over the age of 60. We can see that there is still an important step to take. I remind you that the vaccine is effective against serious forms and that is what we want, to avoid having a heavy Covid that takes you to the hospital for long weeks.
Do you have to put on your mask again on public transport when you go for a walk around the city? Is this something you encourage?
Yes, we do have a recommendation to wear a mask. Later, we can have a different view. If you go on an excursion or walk through the city center outdoors, these are not the same conditions as if you are at the cinema, in an enclosed space. The mask is really an effective, safe and simple means.