A few days before the Back to School and some return to work for many employees, time remains vigilant, while the indicators of coronavirus contaminations continue to increase.
More than 3,600 cases of Covid-19 have been identified in France in 24 hours, according to figures from Public Health France published Saturday August 22, 2020.
In this health context, the Directorate General of Health has repeatedly reminded the importance of testing when in doubt. Health authorities even invite this week any holidaymaker who returns from an area of active circulation of the virus to be tested.
Read also: Covid-19: back to school will not be postponed, assures Jean-Michel Blanquer
The figures for the epidemic in France as of Saturday 22 August 2020
238,002 cases confirmed since the start of the epidemic (+ 3602 in 24 hours)
30,512 deaths in total, including 20,001 in the hospital (+23 in 24 hours)
4711 patients still hospitalized, including 380 in intensive care
283 clusters under investigation (+ 38 in one day)
38 departments in a situation of moderate or high vulnerability
38 zones of active circulation of the virus on August 22
The Health Department thus calls for the responsibility of everyone, “individual and collective”. The DGS press release states:
If you went on vacation to a active virus circulation area, get tested on your return. In the event of a positive test or symptoms: isolate yourself and contact your doctor. Test-trace-isolate: this is the winning trio for reducing contamination.
The zones of active circulation of the virus evolve according to the health context observed in the territories, which may involve specific localized measures, such as the obligation to wear a mask outdoors.
This classification takes into account “the incidence rate but also other indicators such as the number of tests carried out and their positivity rate. The lack of identification of transmission chains is also an unfavorable criterion in the analysis ”, underlines the DGS.
A department goes into a situation of moderate vulnerability when it exceeds the threshold of 10 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and in high vulnerability for an incidence rate above the alert threshold, i.e. 50 per 100,000 inhabitants.
In its point of August 22, Public Health France identifies 38 departments in vulnerable situations and 283 clusters under investigation.
In a situation of high vulnerability, we find the following departments:
- Bouches-du-Rhône
- Guyana
- Hérault
- Loiret
- Paris
- Sarthe
- Seine-Saint-Denis
- Val de Marne
In a situation of moderate vulnerability, we find the following departments:
- Alpes-Maritimes
- Alpes de Haute Provence
- Dawn
- Essonne
- Gard
- Gironde
- Haute-Garonne
- Haute-Savoie
- High Pyrenees
- Hauts-de-Seine
- Ille-et-Vilaine
- Isère
- Eure-et-Loir
- Indre and Loire
- Mayenne
- Mayotte
- Meurthe and Moselle
- North
- Oise
- Atlantic Pyrenees
- Meeting
- Martinique
- Guadeloupe
- Saint-Martin
- Rhône
- Seine et Marne
- Tarn
- Val d’Oise
- Where
- Vaucluse
- Yvelines
How to get tested
To stem the spread of the virus, the government invites screening through its test-trace-isolate strategy :
Each person with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, note) or having the slightest doubt must perform a test for the virus as soon as possible. While awaiting the results, people should isolate themselves and reduce their contact to the strict minimum.
An approach that must be accompanied, adds the DGS, respect for barrier gestures, wearing a mask, the fortnight for people at risk and any measure to stop the chain of transmission of the virus.
To be tested, several solutions, as recalled by Ministry of Health :
- Virological PCR tests (nasal):
They allow you to know if you are sick, are accessible to everyone, without a prescription and are reimbursed by Health Insurance. It is not necessary to show symptoms.
These tests can be carried out in the laboratory but also by “state-certified nurses, students in dentistry, maieutics and pharmacy, nursing assistants, firefighters, marine firefighters and rescuers from approved associations of civil security “.
All the sampling points can be found on the Santé.fr website.
- Serological tests (blood)
They are used by a blood sample to detect if one has developed antibodies, which means that one has been in contact with the virus in the past. It doesn’t tell if you’re sick.
Serological tests include Elisa and TDR automatic tests, carried out in a laboratory or in a hospital environment and prescribed by medical prescription (and reimbursed by Health Insurance). The result is usually known within 24 hours.
Or so the TROD rapid serological tests, who can be performed in pharmacies since July 11, without prescription and without appointment (and paid). It is a blood sample usually taken from the fingertip. The result is known in a few minutes. The Ministry of Health has published a list of 51 rapid diagnostic orientation tests (TROD).
In total, more than 700,000 tests are carried out every week, “Well beyond the clusters”, indicated the Minister of Health Olivier Véran on Twitter, Sunday.
#COVID__19 We have passed 700,000 tests per week. And we test well beyond the clusters!
Thank you to all the players in the field.– Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) August 23, 2020
Beyond vacationers, the director of the DGS Jérôme Salomon recently invited anyone who is in doubt about their state of health to be tested:
Do not hesitate to get tested when you think you have been exposed to a risk.
Read also: Covid-19: the situation is deteriorating, Jérôme Salomon invites to be tested
Vigilance among those under 40
Faced with the current “worrying” situation, the Minister of Health invited the youngest to be vigilant on Sunday in an interview with JDD.
This is not a resumption of the epidemic because it has never stopped.
At the moment, according to the minister, “the virus is circulating four times more among those under 40 than among those over 65”.
Olivier Véran recalls that young people, “most often asymptomatic”, infect seniors, who are more vulnerable to the virus.
When you come back from vacation, when you are wondering about the epidemic, I wanted to take stock of where we are ⤵️ https://t.co/WCKKOLebU9
– Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) August 23, 2020
On Saturday, to focus on the start of the school year and its sanitary conditions, the government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, announced the postponement of a week of the presentation of the economic recovery plan by Jean Castex, 100 billion euros.
Read also: Jobs, ecology, industry… Jean Castex unveils the 100 billion euros recovery plan
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