Reality had to catch up with us. After a relatively “calm” summer in terms of the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the start of the school year marks, in France at least, the return of contamination. This is the “eighth wave”, presumably. Even if, for the moment, the data are still timid.

As of August 27, according to CovidTracker, the national incidence rate thus amounted to 183 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The reproduction rate was 0.87 people infected per patient (we speak of the progression of the epidemic when it exceeds 1).

But the spread of the virus could be greatly accelerated by the start of the school year, as well as by the arrival of a new variant which worries. The BA.2.75 variant, also called “Centaur”. “The BA.2.75 sub-variant of the large Omicron family was identified last May in India where it is currently causing a strong wave. This subvariant (misleadingly called “Centaur”) has nine mutations within its Spike protein. These could make it not only more contagious but also more resistant to vaccines developed against the virus” explains Professor Antoine Flahaut in the columns of Depêche du Midi.

Also, the departments where the tourist influx was at the rendezvous this summer are thus particularly monitored. At the moment, the highest incidence rate in France is in the Landes: there are 410 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. This is 8% more than the previous week.

And, alas, we still die of the virus.

Lately, deaths in some departments are increasing exponentially. However, these figures, which may seem impressive, must be qualified, with up to 600% more deaths. Because the data was relatively weak. It is therefore enough that we go, in a department, from a single death to two for the rate of evolution to increase to 100%.

In our slideshow, discover the departments where deaths are on the rise at the moment, according to data from CovidTracker.