COVID-19 Epidemiological Update for July 28, 2022: Virological and hospital indicators remain at high levels

cp_pe_covid_280722.pdf

Published on 29 July 2022

Press Contacts

Santé publique France
presse@santepubliquefrance.fr

Stéphanie Champion: 01 41 79 67 48
Marie Delibéros: 01 41 79 69 61
Camille Le Hyaric: 01 41 79 68 64

Published weekly, the epidemiological update on COVID-19 surveillance provides a detailed analysis of the indicators established by Santé publique France and its network of partners to track the progression of the epidemic and inform public policy decisions.

In Week 29 (July 18–24, 2022), the decline in SARS-CoV-2 circulation was confirmed nationwide, with a 34% decrease in the incidence rate and a 3.7-point drop in the positivity rate. However, virological indicators remained at high levels across all regions and age groups, indicating that the virus is still actively circulating. Hospital indicators were also high, but a decline in new hospitalizations began in week 28 (-4%), a trend that will need to be confirmed for week 29 once the data has been consolidated. A slight decrease was also observed in critical care admissions at the national level, but with marked regional disparities, as some regions continued to see rising admission rates. In the overseas territories, the incidence rate remained high in Guadeloupe, although it was declining. In Réunion, both the incidence and positivity rates continued to rise.

The replacement of BA.2 by BA.5 continued. Having been the dominant variant for several weeks, BA.5 accounted for 90% of interpretable sequences (all sublineages included) in the Flash S28 survey (July 11), compared to 3.6% for BA.2 (all sublineages included). To date, three cases of the BA.2.75 sublineage have been detected in France. BA.4 was also detected in 6.2% of sequences (all sublineages included). For more information: Risk analysis related to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants (July 6, 2022).

Vaccination efforts must be stepped up to improve vaccination coverage, which remains insufficient, particularly in overseas territories and among the elderly. As of July 25, only 41.8% of those aged 80 and older and 46.9% of eligible nursing home residents had received their second booster dose.

Given the ongoing circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and the summer vacation period, adherence to preventive measures remains essential to maintain the current favorable trend. In the event of symptoms, a positive test result, or exposure to a confirmed case, it is also crucial to follow the recommended guidelines.

For more information

bulletin national

28 July 2022

COVID-19: Epidemiological Update for July 28, 2022

Learn more

New Format for the National Weekly Epidemiological Report

Since July 14, 2022, the National Weekly Epidemiological Report (PE-COVID-19) has been streamlined into a three-page format that provides an overview of the dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic in France. The first page presents the main indicators for monitoring the epidemic, the second page an analysis of the situation, and the third page the indicators available on InfoCovidFrance:

Hospital Indicators

Weekly numbers of newly hospitalized COVID-19 patients and those admitted to critical care units are available in the “Key Figures” tab, under the “Primary Care / Hospital” sub-tab. These indicators are also presented as rates in the “Hospital” tab.
The weekly rates of newly hospitalized COVID-19 patients and those admitted to critical care units, by age group, are available as two separate curves in the “Hospital” tab.

Indicators for Social and Medical-Social Institutions (ESMS)

In the “Social and Medical-Social Institutions” tab, the following are available:

Vaccination coverage rates for residents and staff in nursing homes (Ehpad) or long-term care units (USLD);
The weekly number of new confirmed cases in ESMS among residents and staff;
Weekly deaths among residents in ESMS facilities.

National virological data

The "Incidence and Testing" graph, adjusted for holidays, is available in the "Incidence" tab
The heatmaps showing trends in incidence rates by week and age group (age group 10 and school-age) are available in the “Incidence” tab

Regional virological data

The tables showing trends in incidence, positivity, and testing rates by region are available as curves at the regional and departmental levels in the “Incidence” tab

Variants

The graph showing the trend in the proportion of each variant during Flash surveys is available in the “Variants” tab

Vaccination coverage

The graph “Vaccination coverage by age group” is available in the “Vaccination” tab

For more information on COVID-19, surveillance systems, and vaccination, visit the Santé Publique France resource page and the Vaccination Info Service website. For more information on regional data, consult the Regional Epidemiological Reports. Find all open-access data on Géodes.

Odysseus

Santé publique France's open data portal, based on its 70 surveillance systems, surveys, and scientific expertise.

Stay informed about the COVID-19 pandemic in France and around the world

Updates, Q&As, expert interviews... everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and COVID-19 in France and around the world

Coronavirus: Circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Many variants of SARS-CoV-2 are circulating in France, and new variants carrying mutations are regularly identified. How are they monitored and classified? Learn all about the...