Covid-19: variants, wearing a mask… The latest recommendations from the new scientific council

Since the start of the school year, an increase in the number of cases of Covid-19 has been observed on French territory. “We have seen a steady increase in cases linked to the BA.4 and BA.5 variants, but for the past two weeks we have the impression that we have reached the peak of this new wave”, explained Professor Fabrice Carrat, a epidemiologist member of Covars, during a press conference on Monday, October 24, as Le Figaro pointed out.

Covars is the new national scientific council. Created in July by decree, its role is thus to identify and advise the State on the risks of infection and pollutants… As winter is fast approaching, and viruses should thus begin their crossover seasonal.

Thus, the peak of the current 8th wave seems to have already been reached. However, the Covars underlines, in their report, that “these encouraging signals must be tempered”. Indeed, a new variant appeared in mid-September in France, and since then seems to be progressing. This is the BQ.1.1 variant which would be responsible for 15% of positive cases in early October.

“If this trend were to be confirmed, it could call into question the apparently initiated plateau-decrease dynamics of the wave”, explains the opinion of Covars. We must therefore remain wary as winter approaches or the tension in hospitals is already all the greater due to other viruses such as the flu which are actively circulating at this time of year.

In their opinion, the 19 scientists who make up the Covars have established several recommendations to follow to slow down the impact of a potential 9th ​​wave to come.