Covid19. BA 2, the Omicron sub-variant becomes predominant in Toulouse: should we be worried about it?
By David Saint-Sernin
Published on
Monday March 14, 2022, wearing a mask will no longer be compulsory in companies and schools. A decision taken by the government and announced on March 8 by the Minister of Labor, Elisabeth Borne.
An epidemic recovery in France
A decision which comes as the covid epidemic, under the effect of several sub-variants of Omicron, tends to regain vigor in several departments of northern France.
After a continuous decline for several weeks, certain indicators such as the incidence rate and the positivity rate are indeed rising in these departments.
The slowdown in Occitania
In Occitania, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) estimates that “despite the gradual decline in contamination, the viruses are still very active”.
With a positivity rate of 22.7% of tests, the coronavirus is far from being eradicated in our region.
Has the epidemic recovery already manifested itself in France, will it, in turn, manifest itself in Occitania with the easing of restrictions on Monday? Should we be worried about the end of the wearing of the mask, in particular for the protection of fragile people? Jacques Izopey, head of the virology department at the Toulouse University Hospital, answers our questions:
News: How is the epidemic spreading in Occitania. Which variants circulate the most?
Jacques Izopey: There are three sub-variants of Omicron: BA 1, BA2 and BA3. They emerged in South Africa and Botswana in November 2021 before spreading around the world. Today, in France, BA 1 and BA 2 are predominant and there are some cases of BA3. For four weeks, the Delta variant has disappeared, BA 1 represents 50% of contaminations, like BA 2 which is nevertheless on the way to becoming predominant. Its progression is more gradual than for previous variants, most likely due to the fact that many people have been immunized. Today, the advance of BA 2 is slowed down by greater collective vaccination.
Should we worry about the future predominance of BA 2? Will it change the nature of the epidemic in Occitania?
DS-S. : It is obviously necessary to closely monitor this variant by genomic monitoring but there is no particular fear to have because its properties, in terms of severity and escape from neutralizing antibodies, are very close to those of BA 1. Currently, the incidence rate is decreasing although it remains high compared to the initial alert threshold. For the time being, there is no announced signal of a strong resumption of the epidemic with this sub-variant of Omicron.
Is the end of the indoor mask not likely to challenge this trend?
DS-S. : The environment of a virus obviously plays on its propagation like its characteristics and the level of immunization of the population. We have two advantages in this context. The first is a population that is more immune to the significant contaminations of recent weeks. The second is our increased vaccination coverage. What is likely to happen with the end of the mask and more generally a relaxation of barrier gestures is initially a less strong decrease in the epidemic. There is a risk of remaining on a high plateau of circulation of the virus. This is what we are already seeing everywhere in France and which we are also likely to see in Occitanie, where the incidence rate is still above 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A virus that replicates at this rate could cause new outbreaks of the epidemic.
At the Toulouse University Hospital, will the staff continue to wear the mask?
DS-S. : Wearing a mask remains compulsory at the Toulouse University Hospital, both for staff and for patients. A coherent decision at this stage of the epidemic.
With your epidemiologist’s perspective, given the current level of circulation of the virus, do you recommend keeping the mask indoors?
DS-S. : I always come back to common sense. I think that in geographical areas where there are people and where the circulation of the virus is still strong like in Occitania where the positivity rate still exceeds 20% of positive tests, I would not be shocked if people continue to wear the mask indoors despite the end of the obligation. If it is true that for oneself, one can say that the virus which is currently circulating is less virulent, there may be people around us, more fragile, for whom this same virus will not be without consequences.. .
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