No, the Covid did not take a one-way trip to an exotic land. She may be discreet; but Doctor Christophe Perrin emphasizes: “She is always there.”
If Public Health France counts 638 cases in the South region between July 31 and August 4 – which is low, the head of the pneumology department at the Princess Grace Hospital Center (CHPG) remains on his guard: “I have always had cases. The particular form of the disease since 2022 was a decompensation. That is to say that the virus worsened their general condition. However, for two months, and as in 2021, viral pneumonia come back and require oxygen. These viral pneumonias occur in unvaccinated people when herd immunity exists. It is therefore interesting to note that vaccination offers greater immunity than herd immunity.”
“I stay on my guard”
Fortunately, “traffic remains at a low level”, even if Public Health France notes “an increase in the incidence rate, emergency room visits and SOS Médecins acts over the last three weeks”.
But what regarding next school year?
Could a new variant emerge? “No one knows, emphasizes the CHPG pulmonologist. I stay on my guard. We would quickly be able to get back in place if necessary.”
For the time being, the head of department calls for caution: “I believe that my service is the last in the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco to have kept the mask compulsory for all. Last week, I had two patients contaminated by visitors who removed their masks in the rooms. However, the two patients had respiratory decompensation and one of them had to be transferred to intensive care.
But in town, it’s still vacation time.
Fewer severe forms
Doctor Élodie Cazaux, general practitioner in Colomars (Alpes-Maritimes), has the perception of a calm period. “I must have had three Covids in six weeks and no severe forms. Patients are probably underdiagnosed because they don’t routinely go to the doctor for a cold or a sore throat. But the more time passes, the less there is has disturbing forms.”
If there were a few cases around mid-July, Dr Anne Cohen-Billiemaz, medical biologist in Toulon and president of the Cerballiance Côte d’Azur laboratory, assures that “it fell”. And impossible to know which variant is it, since, recalls the professional, the laboratories no longer carry out the screening which made it possible to determine it.
As for the potential dangerousness of Covid today, this biologist pharmacist certainly did not have the rare and severe cases of the hospital. “The disease becomes a classic viral epidemic, just like gastroenteritis”, she adds.
Same perception of Michel Siffre, departmental vice-president of the Var of the Union of Unions of community pharmacists. For him, living in Bandol (Var), “It goes back a bit but it’s extremely calm and the cases are not serious. Last week, I had three or four cases out of ten people tested. We see a few mini-clusters. For example, there a month ago, the card players of a local association were all infected.
All that remains is to take advantage of the month of August to boost your energy and your immunity…
