Many countries, including France, are facing a fifth wave of the epidemic. Six regions have already activated the “white plan” to reduce tension in hospitals. From this Thursday, the mask is back in schools. Follow all the news related to Covid-19 in France and around the world.
2:23 p.m.
“The cases appear to be mostly mild, but we need to gather more evidence to determine whether the spectrum of disease severity caused by the Omicron is different from that of all of the variants that have circulated so far,” a said Marco Cavaleri, EMA’s head of vaccine strategy, based in Amsterdam.
2:10 p.m.
Two first cases of the contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been detected in Lebanon, the Minister of Health announced on Thursday.
“Two cases detected through screening carried out at the airport” are Omicron variants, Lebanese Minister of Health Firas Abiad said.
The two travelers in question were from “Africa”, he said, adding that they had been “in quarantine” since their arrival in Beirut.
11:30
More than 5 million Covid-19 tests were carried out last week, an increase of nearly 25% from the previous one, according to figures released Thursday by the Ministry of Health.
8:40
According to Olivier Véran, 72,000 cases of Covid-19 were recorded in just 24 hours last Monday, “a sad record since the start of the pandemic”.
07:55
To accelerate the recall campaign, Olivier Véran will sign “a decree which will authorize and encourage pharmacists who can to open every Sunday without limitation in the months of December and January”, he announced on France 2.
7:40 a.m.
“The White plan will probably be national in a few days since each region one after the other triggers it”, announced the Minister of Health Olivier Véran on the plateau of France 2. This makes it possible “to mobilize more caregivers and more private sectors ”.
7:15 a.m.
American health authorities on Wednesday authorized the administration of synthetic antibodies developed by AstraZeneca, in certain individuals who react poorly to vaccines for medical reasons, in order to protect them against Covid-19 even before any exposure to the virus.
This is the first time that the United States Medicines Agency (FDA) has authorized such a pure prevention treatment as an emergency. It is not, however, “a substitute for vaccination”. It is only authorized for people who are immunocompromised (in whom the vaccine is likely to work less well), or those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons (allergic reactions).
6:55
Against the backdrop of an epidemic recovery, which remains incommensurate with the daily reports in other countries, China has given the green light for the first time to treatment against Covid-19.
In a notice published on Wednesday, the National Medicines Agency indicated that it had granted “emergency approval” for a Chinese treatment against Covid-19 based on monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies attach to the coronavirus spike protein, reducing its ability to enter human cells.
The treatment, administered by injection, was jointly developed by the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing, the No.3 Hospital in Shenzhen (south) and the company Brii Biosciences. Clinical trials show that the treatment can reduce hospitalizations and the risk of death in frail patients by 80%, according to Tsinghua University.
6h00
Part of the level 3 health protocol applies from this Thursday, December 9 in primary schools. Namely the obligation to wear a mask in the playground (from the first grade for students) and the limitation of physical and sports activities indoors.
The reinforcement of the restriction on the mixing of pupils in the canteen will be implemented from Monday, December 13.
00h00
Under increasing pressure from the fifth wave of Covid-19, the regional health agencies (ARS) of Ile-de-France, Occitanie, Pays de la Loire and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté have announced the launch of the “white plan” in all their hospitals and clinics.
After Corsica last week and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur on Tuesday, six metropolitan regions have now reactivated the “white plan”, which notably allows operations to be deprogrammed and staff to be reassigned to critical care services.
The ARS Ile-de-France justified this decision by “the tension (which) has been accentuated for several days”, the establishments of the region counting Wednesday 2,608 hospitalized Covid patients, including 505 in critical care.
