Is Christmas in danger in Toulouse?
Is Christmas 2021 in danger in Toulouse? While the fifth wave of Covid-19 is raging in Haute-Garonne, Sandra Malavaud, epidemiologist at Toulouse University Hospital, is rather reassuring about the situation for the upcoming festivities. “Thanks to the measures taken now by the government, the end-of-year celebrations can go more or less normally,” she told Independent Opinion.
In Haute Garonne, the department’s incidence rate reached 474 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on December 4, 2021, according to Covid Tracking. It only stands at 251 on November 28. This indicator is now well above the maximum alert (over 250) and the average incidence in France. It is indeed 444 cases.
Vaccination as a weapon
Despite an accumulated circulation of the virus, the Toulouse hospital tension is not comparable to that of previous waves: “Thanks to the vaccination, the patients admitted contract less severe forms of Covid-19, which relieves the hospital staff”, assures the specialist before continuing, “to date, the majority of admitted have not been vaccinated”.
At the same time, the vaccination centers of the pink city are again crumbling with requests for appointments, mainly for booster doses. To meet this strong demand, the metropolis, supported by the ARS and the Prefecture, opened numerous vaccination points and reopened the Hall 8 vaccinodrome, one of the largest vaccination centers in Europe.
>> ALSO READ: Toulouse: ephemeral vaccination centers will open in several neighborhoods
The holiday season involves as much as possible that people have been vaccinated and recalled beforehand, especially the elderly. It is a matter of common sense, of using barrier gestures such as not grouping together in too many groups because we know that this is a major risk factor, or even not kissing. It’s a little frustrating, but if we respect these different gestures, we can get together as a family “, underlines the epidemiologist from the Toulouse University Hospital.
The omicron variant less dangerous than the Delta variant
Since its detection two weeks ago in South Africa, the Omicron variant has been at the center of much scientific research in order to unravel its mysteries. Scientists are starting to make some assumptions. Omicron would presumably be more contagious than the Delta variant affirm this morning WHO. “Its more rapid and numerous mutations would make the virus more transmissible” underlines the organization. However, its dangerousness would be less, compared to the Delta.
Among these signs, the fact that the infection link in South Africa was only very few new hospital admissions and very few deaths. In contrast, many cases of reinfection have been reported. Even vaccinated, are we protected against Omicron? According to Sandra Malavaud, the main thing is that vaccines seem maintain their effectiveness against severe forms. Bodes well for the festivities to come.