Virus transmission remains a concern as the holidays approach

In Week 51, the number of confirmed cases rose by 23%, with 98,280 new cases compared to 80,104 in Week 50. This increase, observed over the past two weeks (+10% between Week 50 and Week 49), is associated at least in part with a very sharp rise in testing.

New hospitalizations and ICU admissions, which remain at high levels, have stabilized for the second consecutive week, with 8,672 new hospitalizations and 1,156 new ICU admissions in week 51, compared to 8,608 and 1,146 in week 50—an increase of 1% in each case.

The number of new COVID-19-related deaths, including deaths occurring in hospitals and long-term care facilities, also remained very high in week 51. This number was stable in week 50, following data consolidation. The trend in deaths for Week 51 remains to be confirmed due to the longer consolidation period for mortality data, particularly for deaths occurring in long-term care facilities. In Week 50, the number of deaths occurring in hospitals decreased.

Adherence to preventive measures: the only way to protect yourself and your loved ones

The epidemic situation observed in week 51 calls for strict adherence to preventive measures both in private settings and in public spaces in the run-up to the Christmas holidays. Wave 19 (December 14–16) of the CoviPrev survey shows that the French have taken to heart the recommendation of “a maximum of 6 adults at the table for the holidays”: 83% of those surveyed stated that they would celebrate Christmas with a maximum of 6 adults, as did 92% for New Year’s.

The consistent adoption of preventive measures must be strictly adhered to. Mask-wearing remains at a high level compared to Wave 18, while a decline is observed particularly among those aged 35–49 in the consistent adoption of certain measures, such as handwashing (68% vs. 76%), coughing into one’s elbow (64% vs. 70%), greeting others without shaking hands and avoiding hugs (78% vs. 84%), and maintaining a distance of at least 1 meter (52% vs. 60%).

A priority: accessible information on vaccination

With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine just days away, the CoviPrev survey provides insights into the population’s vaccination intentions. In Wave 19, less than half of respondents (40%) said they definitely or probably intended to get vaccinated against COVID-19, whereas 53% said they intended to do so in Wave 17 (November 4–6).

However, even though uptake is also declining among those aged 65 and older (61% in Wave 19 vs. 72% in Wave 19), it remains in the majority in this age group. Among the 1,194 people (60%) who did not wish to be vaccinated, the reasons most frequently cited for not doing so were: “the new vaccines are not safe” (82%). The widely available results regarding the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the tolerability and safety data from clinical trials of the first two vaccines, do not seem to convince respondents. It is therefore essential to facilitate access to information on vaccines and vaccination (vaccination strategy, vaccine safety, etc.).
To this end, the Vaccination Info Service website has created a dedicated section that will be regularly updated in collaboration with the various stakeholders involved.