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Fifth wave of Covid-19: how our European neighbours are reacting to the spread of the Omicron variant

Shop closures, curfews for bars, the return of confinement: the countries of Europe are each fighting the new outbreak of the epidemic in their own way.

One variant, several responses. At a time when Europe is facing a resurgence of the Covid-19 epidemic, due in particular to the appearance of the Omicron variant, which the WHO considers to be "worrying", Our neighbours are implementing very different policies to break the chains of contamination and avoid overloading their hospitals.

Franceinfo brings you an overview of the new health measures in Europe.

Reconfinement in the Netherlands

For the time being, this is the most restrictive measure in Europe. On Saturday 18 December, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a national lockdown from 19 December to 14 January. This means that all non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums and theatres will be closed for four weeks. Schools, which were closed a week early, will remain closed until 9 January.

The Dutch government is particularly concerned about the Omicron variant. "This forces us to reduce our contacts as quickly as possible, and as much as possible.explained Mark Rutte during his speech. Although leaving the house is not regulated, it is still forbidden to have more than two guests at home. This rule will only be relaxed for the Christmas weekend and the New Year period, when the maximum number of guests will be four.

In Portugal, caution and vaccination for children

Portugal is Europe's leading country in terms of vaccination rates, with 88.9% of its population of 10.3 million vaccinated. The country strictly controls travellers entering its territory, even if they come from European Union countries. Since December 1, all travellers to Portugal must present a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old, or a negative antigen test less than 48 hours old. This measure is accompanied by a form for tracing passengers in order to trace the chain of contamination. As the French embassy in Portugal points out on its website, the isolation of people identified as contact cases can go from "up to 14 days or more in certain situations"..

On Saturday, Portugal also extended its vaccination campaign to children aged between 5 and 11, using the Pfizer paediatric vaccine. The move was justified by the sharp rise in the epidemic among this age group, explained Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. The government's stated aim is to limit as far as possible the spread of the Omicron variant, which should still account for 80% of new infections between now and the end of the year, according to the country's health authorities.

To reduce contact after the Christmas and New Year rallies, the Socialist executive has also decided to extend the school holidays and make teleworking compulsory during the first week of January.

Mandatory teleworking and holiday restrictions in Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Council has announced that teleworking will once again be compulsory in the country from 20 December. "We're trying to avoid an explosion of cases and the situation going off the rails. The alternative, closures, is what we don't want".Federal Health Councillor Alain Berset explained to RTS. Additional measures have also been taken in certain cantons.

From 20 December, access to restaurants, cultural establishments, sports and leisure facilities and indoor events will be restricted to people who have been fully vaccinated or cured of Covid-19. This tightening of the ban has long been called for by health experts, in order to counter the fifth wave of the epidemic already being felt in the country. Private gatherings are now limited to 30 people indoors or 50 outdoors, including children. But if one of the guests (aged 16 or over) is neither vaccinated nor cured, the limit is reduced to 10 people.

Tighter controls on travellers in Italy, Greece and Germany

Vaccination alone is no longer enough to travel to certain European countries. Since 16 December, Italy has required a negative Covid test for all travellers, regardless of their vaccination history. As for those who have not been vaccinated, they must observe a compulsory five-day quarantine. From Sunday, the same applies to entry into Greece. This rule should remain in force for at least "for the holidays Mina Gaga, the Greek deputy health minister, explained on the RFI website.

In Germany, a quarantine is now imposed on unvaccinated travellers from certain countries classified as "high-risk". Since Sunday, France has been on this red list, alongside Denmark, Norway, Lebanon and Andorra. The German authorities specify that this is a self-quarantine that must last a minimum of 5 days, and can only be terminated by a negative PCR test. Failure to comply with this requirement can result in a fine of up to €25,000.

In Ireland, lights out at 8 p.m. for many establishments

From Monday, it will no longer be possible to go to the cinema, the theatre, pubs or restaurants after 8pm in Ireland. Once again, this drastic measure is justified by the spread of the Omicron variant, described by the Irish Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, as an "epidemic". "serious threat which already accounts for a third of new infections in Ireland.

Gatherings will now be subject to restrictions. Weddings are limited to 100 people, and indoor events must not exceed 50% of their capacity, up to 1,000 people. The same rule applies to outdoor events, with a maximum capacity of 5,000 people.

Denmark closes cultural and social venues for a month

The curtains will remain down for a long time in Denmark, which is witnessing a historic surge in the number of cases of Covid-19, largely attributable to the Omicron variant. In the week from 13 to 18 December, the average number of new infections was 8,666 per day, twice as many as in the last epidemic wave, according to the OurWorldInData website.

Faced with this explosion in the number of cases, the Danish government has ordered the closure of cinemas, theatres and concert halls from Sunday, for a period of one month. Museums, swimming pools, zoos and amusement parks are also affected by this decision. Restaurants and bars will remain open for the time being, but will be required to limit their capacity and close at 11pm.

Text:
Pierre-Louis Caron
France Télévisions

#Striketober, "big resignation": 5 minutes to understand the unprecedented social unrest in the United States

From factories to hospitals and restaurants, a wave of strikes is sweeping the United States, demanding better pay and status. It's a movement that is boosting local unions and putting the issue of quality of work back at the heart of the debate.

The start of the new school year swept away by a historic strike in the United States. Battered by the pandemic and frustrated by their employers' profits, tens of thousands of American workers have taken strike action this autumn, demanding better working conditions. From factories to film sets, hospitals and the catering industry, these "Great Resignation" movements, supported by a fringe of the Democratic camp, are affecting all sectors. And they could well inspire neighbouring countries. We take a closer look.

What happened?

Strikes have been piling up in the United States for several weeks now. Since Thursday, 10,000 employees of tractor manufacturer John Deere have left their factories to take to the streets. This action joins those of 1,500 workers employed by cereal giant Kellogg's in Pennsylvania and 2,000 nurses at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, New York, who are demanding better working conditions.

Other sectors could in turn swell the ranks of strikers. Some 31,000 employees of the Kaiser Permanente healthcare group are preparing to stop work shortly in California. Anger is also spreading to Hollywood studios, where some crews were preparing to leave filming before a last-minute agreement was reached on working conditions.

As disparate as they are, these strikes, supported by the left wing of the Democrats behind the hashtag #Striketober, are demanding, depending on the sector, new recruitment, higher wages or, for some, "a guarantee that their jobs will not be relocated", explains Marie-Christine Bonzom, political scientist, journalist and specialist on the United States.

In what context?

Strikes may have intensified in recent weeks, but employees' frustrations are nothing new. "The pandemic was the trigger, but the dissatisfaction goes back a long way. It concerns low wages, company profits and the complicated access to social security, which depends on the employer", notes Nicole Bacharan, a historian specialising in the United States and author of "The Great Days that Changed America".

The end of the health crisis has seen an unprecedented wave of resignations. 4.3 million Americans have quit their jobs since August, according to data from the Department of Labour quoted by the Washington Post. This figure rises to more than 20 million if we count those who have left since April. For the most part, these departures have been in the sales and hospitality sectors, in jobs that are hard-working and often poorly paid.

All in all, the pandemic has reshuffled the deck for many workers. In all, 10 million jobs are thought to be unfilled across the country. A considerable lever for those about to hang up their boots. "Since employers can't find anyone to take on, employees are in a good position to negotiate pay rises or better status", Marie-Christine Bonzom points out.

What role for trade unions?

In decline since the late 1960s, trade unions now seem to be making a comeback in the country. President Joe Biden has made it one of his priorities to ensure that their rights are respected and to give them back their power. To date, the country has 11 % union members among its workers. A rate that is "low, but no higher than in France", notes Nicole Bacharan. Proof that the social struggle is gaining ground, employees of major firms such as Starbucks and Amazon have even tried to set up their own union in recent months. Sometimes in vain.

After all, trade union rights are radically different from those in France. "In France, union negotiations take place mainly on a sector-by-sector basis via collective agreements. Over there, everything is decided at company level, unit by unit. The right to join a union depends on a vote within the company", Marie-Christine Bonzom sums up.

While few Americans campaign for their rights, many do support the movement. "In the collective imagination, it's hard to associate the United States with the trade union struggle. But the unions have become much more popular in recent years. This support is now helping them to negotiate", points out Nicole Bacharan.

A domino effect?

Multiple strikes, a wave of resignations, a series of renegotiations... The movement of social anger and the labour shortage now extend beyond American borders. Germany is short of 400,000 skilled workers, according to Bloomberg. Similarly, China is reportedly facing mass resignations, with the emergence of a new generation of workers "disenchanted by prospects and put off by relatively low wages", notes the Washington Post.

For its part, France has been struggling for several months to recruit in the catering sector. Without talking about a worldwide strike, these successive observations testify to a "strong aspiration for better working conditions", according to Nicole Bacharan, for whom these mobilisations could lead to others. However, there is a nuance on the other side of the Atlantic: "For Americans, personal fulfilment cannot be detached from the value of work and professional success. In other words, strikes can happen on the spot, and the 35-hour week is not for tomorrow..." breathes Nicole Bacharan.

Text by le parisien.fr By Marie Campistron

Covid-19: A serene return to life in Denmark

On Friday, Denmark turned the page on restrictions aimed at combating the pandemic.

COVID-19 - No more masks or health passes, the offices have come back to life and tens of thousands of fans are attending concerts: on Friday 10 September, Denmark turned the page on the restrictions aimed at combating Covid-19, as you can see in the video at the top of this article.

Iceland lifted all its restrictions in June, but had to reintroduce them a few weeks later due to a resurgence of the epidemic. According to AFP's European bureaux, Denmark is currently the only country on the continent to have returned to "life as it was before".

"We're definitely in the vanguard in Denmark because we no longer have any restrictions, we've moved to the other side of the pandemic thanks to the roll-out of vaccination", explained Ulrik Ørum-Petersen, promoter at Live Nation.

On Saturday, the show organiser is organising a sold-out concert for 50,000 people, a first in Europe, which is still weighed down by restrictions. On 4 September, Live Nation had already organised its first festival, aptly named "Back to Life", which drew 15,000 people to Copenhagen.

"Being in the crowd, singing like we used to, it almost made me forget Covid-19 and everything we've been through over the last few months", said Emilie Bendix, a 26-year-old woman who went to the concert.

Introduced in March as a corollary to the reopening, the 'coronapas' was only compulsory in nightclubs from 1 September, a requirement that was lifted on Friday.

73% fully vaccinated Danes

"Our objective is free circulation (...), so what will happen is that the virus will also circulate and will find those who have not been vaccinated", epidemiologist Lone Simonsen, a professor at Roskilde University, warned AFP.

"If the virus is no longer a threat to society, it's only thanks to the vaccine", insisted Lone Simonsen.

Denmark has had no trouble convincing its population of the benefits of vaccination. As a result, 73% of the 5.8 million Danes are now fully vaccinated, and 96% of those aged 65 and over.

With around 500 new cases every day and a virus reproduction rate of 0.7, the Danish authorities believe that the epidemic is under control, although this return to life as before must be coupled with strict compliance with hygiene measures and the isolation of patients.

"Everyday life is broadly the same again, but that doesn't mean that there is no longer any danger on the horizon", stressed Health Minister Magnus Heunicke on Friday morning.

"If you look at the last 18 months, the virus has mutated several times, so I can't guarantee anything (...) But with so many people vaccinated, we're in a good position," he told TV2.

130 hospital admissions only

The only restriction on entry to the Nordic country is that a health passport and/or a negative test must be presented, and a mask must be worn at airports.

"It's been a tough two years, I have three children and with home schooling it's been a lot of hard days, so it's really nice," said Klaus Sylvester, one of the Danes interviewed by AFP in Copenhagen on Friday.

"It's fantastic because the sun is shining, you can go and watch a match or a concert at the stadium, it's really liberating," says the 41-year-old journalist.

For WHO Europe, Denmark stands out for the relationship of trust between the authorities and the public regarding the strategy deployed.

Even so, "each country must remain vigilant if and when the epidemiological situation changes", according to Catherine Smallwood, who is in charge of emergency situations.

Denmark plans to closely monitor the number of hospital admissions - just 130 so far - and to carry out meticulous sequencing of tests, one of its great strengths in recent months in monitoring the evolution of the virus. A third dose has also been offered to the most vulnerable since Thursday.

"Of course if something happens and we need restrictions, I'd have no problem following them again, but I'm pretty confident that won't be necessary, I hope not anyway," explained Mikael Weiling, a 39-year-old architect.

Text by Le HuffPost with AFP

The French Parliament adopts the law implementing the "health pass".

The day after another day of mobilisation by its opponents, the anti-Covid health pass was definitively adopted in France on Sunday evening. MPs and senators reached an agreement in principle on this controversial text.

The National Assembly ended the parliamentary marathon that began on Tuesday with a wide-ranging vote, with 156 votes in favour, from the majority and the right, 60 against, from the left and the Rassemblement National, and 14 abstentions.

The leader of the La France insoumise MPs, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, unsuccessfully put forward a final motion to reject the bill, denouncing the anti-Covid pass as "parole" and calling for "disobedience". Olivier Véran, the French Minister for Health, was a little provocative, welcoming the "new-found national unity" after a total of 60 hours of debate in both chambers.

Time limits

Shortly before, it was the right-wing-dominated Senate that had approved by 195 votes to 129, with 17 abstentions, the same text providing for an extended pass and compulsory vaccination for healthcare workers. In the joint committee, 14 deputies and senators reached an agreement (see also box) in the early evening, after almost four hours of meetings.

Therefore, after 15 November, the pass system can only be continued with a new vote by Parliament. Initially, checks will be carried out by the administrative police rather than the criminal justice system.

No redundancies for care workers

In addition, as the senators wished, it is the health insurance scheme that will first monitor the compulsory isolation of people infected with Covid-19, before the police intervene if necessary. "We couldn't treat French people like criminals", said Senator Hervé Marseille (Union Centrist).

Finally, there will be no dismissal for people who fail to comply with the vaccination obligation because of their profession, but their salary will be suspended. This point had been hotly debated.

Pass extended at the beginning of August

In a rare move, a last-minute government amendment authorising prefects to impose the pass in large shopping centres in a highly restricted manner was adopted at the last minute. However, the requirement to present the pass had been deleted by the Senate, a deletion subsequently approved by the Joint Committee.

The extended pass is due to come into effect at the beginning of August. Time is running out in the face of an unprecedented surge in infections in France linked to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19. The bill still has to pass through the Constitutional Council, to which Prime Minister Jean Castex and the left-wing party have referred the matter.

Text by Le monde agences/jop/vajo/vic

Tokyo 2021 Olympics: A woman tries to extinguish the Olympic flame with a water pistol

Opposed to the Olympic Games being held during the Covid epidemic, the 50-year-old was arrested.

OLYMPIC GAMES - The gesture is more symbolic than dangerous, but it is causing quite a stir in Japan. On Sunday 4 July, as the Olympic flame passed through the prefecture of Ibaraki, in the centre of the island of Honshū, a woman tried to extinguish it with a water pistol, as shown in our video at the top of the article.

She immediately justified this move by saying that she was opposed to the holding of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (postponed by one year, from 23 July to 7 August), while Japan is one of the richest countries lagging furthest behind when it comes to vaccination against covid-19.

Kayoko Takahashi, 53, an unemployed woman, was stopped after her gesture when she shouted: "I'm against the Olympic Games. Stop the Olympics". As the daily newspaper of record points out Asahi ShinbunThe authorities fear that the 50-year-old may have thrown a liquid other than water in the direction of the flame.

Like her, many Japanese people deplore the fact that the event is being held against the backdrop of a health crisis that is far from under control. At present, while part of Japan is living under extremely strict health restrictions, particularly Tokyo, which is in a virtual state of emergency, the contagiousness of the Delta variant and the resurgence in the number of cases are indeed worrying the population.

The Olympic Torch Relay in the streets of Tokyo, for example, will have to take place partly behind closed doors and has even been banned elsewhere in the country, but the sporting events should go ahead as normal, although the question of the public has not yet been settled. Although a maximum capacity of 10,000 people at each Olympic venue (within the limit of 50% of the venue's maximum capacity) has been decreed for the time being, the health situation could lead to this being revised downwards, or even to the Games being held without an audience.

Although Japan has been relatively spared by covid-19, with fewer than 15,000 deaths officially recorded since the beginning of 2020, its medical system has been severely tested. Above all, the vaccination campaign is taking a long time to get under way, with doses arriving in dribs and drabs, and only 10% of the population has already been fully vaccinated.

On Sunday, the Olympic torch relay in Ibaraki prefecture got off to a good start when it was led by Zico, a former Brazilian football star who became an icon in Japan by finishing his career there before coaching some of the biggest clubs and the national team.

Covid-19: this country will pay its nationals to be vaccinated

Serbs who have already been vaccinated or who will be vaccinated before the end of May will receive €25.

This is clearly a world first. In Serbia, getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is rewarded. According to Le Figaro, the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has announced that each person vaccinated will receive 25 euros, and that all those vaccinated between now and the end of May will also be rewarded. His short-term objective is to have vaccinated three million people by the end of the month.

Serbia is a good pupil when it comes to vaccination. With a population of around seven million, 1.3 million people have already received at least one dose. But according to our colleagues, public interest in the anti-Covid serum has waned. In terms of its vaccination strategy, Serbia has drawn on the expertise of various laboratories, including Western, Russian and Chinese. The vaccine is "proof of responsibility", added President Vucic, who went further with regard to public sector employees: all those who contract Covid-19 and have not been vaccinated will no longer receive sick pay.

Donuts in the US, beer and pizza in Israel

While companies in some countries have offered benefits to their employees, a Serbian epidemiologist argues that there has never been a financial reward. As the Huffington Post recalled, New Jersey (USA) decided to offer a beer to all those vaccinated, with the support of several local breweries. In West Virginia, the authorities encouraged young people to get vaccinated by offering savings vouchers worth around €80.

A more far-fetched initiative, noted the Huffington Post, is that of Krispy Kreme, which is offering a free doughnut to anyone vaccinated between now and the end of the year. Finally, in Israel, the authorities are offering beer, pizza or local dishes for every person vaccinated. It remains to be seen how the population will react in Serbia, with the poorest likely to be attracted by the operation, and others more resistant.

Written by Xavier Martinage

Coronavirus: Dubai, Cuba and Florida take up the challenge of "vaccine tourism

LIGHTNING - Some travel agencies are no longer hesitating to offer "all-inclusive" holidays.

How about basking in the sun, cocktail in hand, between two doses of vaccine? In any case, the concept of "vaccine tourism" seems to be spreading more and more. While Europe shudders at the thought of a shortage, some countries are not hesitating to offer the injection under the coconut trees.

"Caribbean, mojito and vaccine"... This advert has been on air since Cuba to the whole of South America. From next March, tourists staying three weeks on the island will be entitled to Cuban vaccines, as announced by the authorities in this short publicity film, between two beach photos: " Tourists have the option of being vaccinated in Cuba if they so wish".

Not far from there, in FloridaIn Florida, it's the neighbours to the north, Quebecers over 65, who can register to be vaccinated. They don't have to be residents or own property in Florida. A proposal that irritates many Americans.

And then there is the exceptional case of the very rich of Britons over 65Those who belong to a very closed London circle. For a fee of 45,000 euros, they are invited to live in Dubai for a month, including first-class or private jet travel, reserved villas and double-dose vaccinations.

By RTL Bénédicte Tassart

edited by Thomas Pierre

"Hold-up", the documentary on Covid-19 confronted with scientific facts

In the film "Hold Up - retour sur un chaos", Pierre Barnerias and Christophe Cossé claim to be trying to answer questions about the coronavirus. The reality is more complicated.

SCIENCE - It's what you might call a runaway success. Released on Wednesday 11 November, the documentary devoted to Covid-19 "Hold Up - a look back at chaos" is at the heart of discussions in many media and on social networks.

On the Tipeee crowdfunding platform, the Tprod production company went from receiving 28,000 euros in monthly funding to over 110,000 euros in 24 hours, as noted by Tristan Mendès-France, a researcher specialising in digital technology and conspiracy circles. The various extracts from the film posted on social networks have accumulated hundreds of thousands of views. And given the sums already amassed, the target of 200,000 euros a month to make the film available free of charge could well be quickly reached.

But what exactly does this documentary, which has been accused of peddling a conspiracy message, say? Le HuffPost has watched it in its entirety, and below we take a look at some of the false information spread by "Hold-Up" on the coronavirus and management of this global pandemic. This article will be updated regularly.

The Great Reset

Before going into detail, we need to return to the main thesis of this documentary, which takes two hours to appear on screen. According to "Hold-Up", this pandemic was organised by political, economic, intellectual and technological elites to bring about a "Great Reset" of society.

The World Economic Forum is planning to hold a major meeting in January 2021. This was announced in a press release in June. The aim of this project is to devise an "economic and social system for a fairer, more sustainable and more resilient future" in the face of pandemics, climate change and other challenges.

While it is perfectly legitimate to debate the true usefulness of the World Economic Forum and this meeting, to assert that this "Great Reset" has been in the works for a long time is factually inconsistent. The documentary presents no evidence to support this claim.

Still without proof, the authors claim that the purpose of this pandemic for the global elites is both to destroy a useless part of humanity, but also to facilitate the deployment of 5G to better control money, via the virtualisation of money through cryptocurrencies.

It may sound like a big deal when you put it like that. But after two hours of debate on the origins of the coronavirusWhen we look at the real impact of Covid-19, mortality, treatments and the ethics of confinement, we are legitimately keen to hear a solution that explains all this.

Except that the overwhelming majority of what we've heard before is also either false, exaggerated or misleading. Here are a few examples. Many are conspiracy theories or approximations that have been around for months.

The efficacy of hydroxychloroquine

It's one of the subjects that has led to the most debate and polarisation, not only on social networks, but also among doctors and politicians. So it's only logical that Hold Up should take up the subject.

There are many claims to be made on this subject, and it would be futile to try and review them all. It is clear, however, that the documentary asserts that hydroxychloroquine is a highly effective treatment for Covid-19. Hold Up also states that the reason this drug was not authorised was precisely because there was a large-scale conspiracy to ensure that the drug was not authorised. coronavirus cannot be treated until a vaccine arrives.

After several months of debate, there are some clear points to be made about chloroquine. Firstly, it should be remembered that in the early months of the pandemic, we didn't know what to do about the disease. coronavirus. It therefore makes sense to test existing drugs, such as chloroquine and Remdesivir (which is heavily criticised in Hold Up because it comes from the Gilead laboratory, which is supposed to be part of a grand conspiracy).

Some drugs seemed to be effective, but the results were only partial. One of these was hydroxychloroquine, which Didier Raoult was promoting at the time. The question of whether doctors should be allowed to prescribe is a debate in its own right (more information here). However, it is clear that the media coverage of this debate, particularly as a result of the statements made by the professor from the Marseille IHU and by Donald TrumpThese controversies, which are commonplace in the medical world, have not been helped. And they have had undesirable effects.

But things have moved on since then. Behind these ethical debates, there is scientific research that has tried to move forward quickly (more details here), to produce high-quality, robust studies that can tell us with much greater certainty whether the existing drugs tested in the emergency were of any use against Covid-19.

Hold Up also talks a lot about the famous study published in The Lancetwhich led the WHO to suspend (and then resume) its analysis of the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine. And rightly so. These problems were raised by scientists and the media (summarised here). The study was retracted by the scientific journal and research continued to progress. On the other hand, Hold Up does not mention the many approximations and untruths expressed by Didier Raoult in his various interviews or in some of his studies.

The fact remains that today, after all the debate and controversy, we know a lot more about Covid-19. Dexamethasone is one of the only drugs with truly proven efficacy in well-controlled double-blind clinical trials, and no-one had really bet on it. Conversely, a large number of clinical trials have concluded that chloroquine is effective. The two largest of these, from the WHO (solidarity) and Oxford University (recovery), all agree that hydroxychloroquine has no effect.

Researchers also carried out a meta-analysis and found no impact. This study is heavily criticised in Hold Up, but the majority of other similar analyses point in the same direction.

The mask for non-patients is an "aberration".

Pascal Trotta, a nutritionist and anti-vaccine doctor, states in "Hold-Up" that "doctors who put masks on people who aren't ill are fools, Molière's doctors".

The usefulness of the mask was debated at length at the start of the epidemic, as we have explained several times. And not to mention the mistakes made by the various governments, even the scientists disagreed. But after more than 11 months, there are some things we know that constitute a scientific consensus. This consensus is created by the accumulation of studies, tests, analyses and observations.

This is very clear: it is possible for a person infected with coronavirus transmit the disease without showing any symptoms. Particularly in the 48 hours before symptoms appear. It is also increasingly clear that masks reduce the risk of contamination.

Logically, if the coronavirus circulates widely in a population, asking people to wear a mask should reduce the proportion of pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people who will contaminate healthy people.

There has been a bonus for doctors who "blow the whistle".

The documentary claims that doctors were rewarded for reporting Covid-19 cases and their contacts. It is true that the issue was the subject of debate in May, when the government was putting in place its decontainment strategy, based in particular on contact tracing.

But as LiberationHowever, when the law was finalised by the joint parliamentary committee, the issue of remuneration for this tracing work was dropped. On the other hand, it is true that for a sick patient whose PCR test confirms that he or she is indeed affected by the coronavirusthe doctor gets a bonus.

Why should I do this? Health insurance explained to LiberationThis increase corresponds to the value of the announcement of the positive test, the prescription of tests for close contact cases [...], the information given to the patient on barrier measures, and the registration of the patient and close contact cases in the "Contact Covid" tool".

The WHO has banned autopsies on Covid-19 victims

In "Hold-Up", we hear a doctor explain that autopsies are useful for finding out how best to treat Covid-19 patients. Just before this, the documentary states that the WHO had in fact banned autopsies.

However, a visit to the World Health Organisation's website shows that this is not the case. A document published on 24 March lists the precautions to be taken during an autopsy on a patient who has died of Covid-19 in order to avoid possible infection. This AFP article provides a detailed update on this issue.

The virus was created in a laboratory

It's one of the theories that has circulated the most on social networks. And in many different forms. In "Hold-Up", while some contributors explain that they do not have the answer to the origins of Sars-Cov2, others are more categorical. Like Jean-Baptiste Fourtillan, an anti-vaccine campaigner known for having taken part in a wild clinical trial in an abbey, who claims that the new coronavirus is a Sras genetically modified with bits of the malaria genome. The proof is in the patents.

The origin of Sars-Cov2 is still unclear, but this hypothesis of genetic modification is rejected by the scientific community, especially as these patents do not at all mean that the virus was "created" years earlier, as we explained in March.

The genome of the coronavirusThe Sars-Cov2, which has been studied in detail for 11 months, does not seem to support the theory that it was modified by humans, for a number of reasons (more details here). In particular, this theory gained momentum after an investigation by the US intelligence services in April, which finally concluded that Sars-Cov2 was not man-made.

The scientific community still does not know exactly how it reached humans. An intermediate host, such as the pangolin, could have been the link between the bat and man, but the debate remains open.

A law on containment from 2019

After an hour and a half, "Hold-Up" slowly begins to lead the viewer down the path of a long-planned plot, a way of preparing the ground for the thesis of a "Great Reset" fomented in the shadows. The documentary then refers to a French law that would have made "confinement legal"... from December 2019.

When questioned, MP Martine Wonner, who was expelled from the LREM group for her (sometimes questionable) positions on the coronavirus, wondered: "It's very surprising, I admit to you that it's practically been passed over in silence", explaining that "we can ask ourselves the question".

The text in question is not specified, but on the Senate website there is a "health security bill" dated 5 December 2019. It refers to "eviction and home maintenance measures" for "persons presenting a high risk of developing a transmissible disease". Another article in the proposal refers to compulsory isolation measures "when a person suffering from a highly contagious transmissible disease creates a serious risk to public health by refusing to comply with medical prescriptions for prophylactic isolation".

But you only have to look at the explanatory memorandum to this law to put all this into context and understand that there were reasons prior to Covid-19 to justify this law. "Our country is facing growing difficulties in the face of the development of vector-borne diseases transmitted by insects, such as dengue fever, chikungunya, zika and yellow fever", says Senator Michel Amiel. A few months earlier, the Zika virus was contracted for the first time in mainland France.

The senator also mentions the return of measles, which highlights "that the State does not have all the necessary means of action". In 2019, France is being singled out along with other countries for the return of this disease, which was thought to have been brought under control. The fact that the French population is one of the most opposed to vaccines is no coincidence.

By Grégory Rozières Head of the C'est Demain, Science and Technology section

COVID-19: Pfizer announces that its vaccine is "effective at 90%".

This "vaccine efficacy" was measured by comparing the number of participants infected with the new coronavirus in the group that received the vaccine and the placebo group.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said on Monday that preliminary data showed that 90 % of its COVID-19 vaccine was effective, which could enable it to apply to the US authorities for emergency authorisation for its use later this month.

Monday's announcement does not, however, mean that a vaccine is imminent: this interim analysis, carried out by independent experts, examined the 94 infections recorded so far among the 44,000 or so people taking part in the study in the United States and five other countries.

Pfizer did not provide further details about these infections and warned that the initial rate of protection could change by the end of the study. Even the disclosure of such preliminary data is unusual.

"We are able to potentially offer some hope," Pfizer's vice president of clinical development, Dr Bill Gruber, told the Associated Press. We're very encouraged."

The markets reacted favourably to this announcement. Bonds of around 5 % were rated on Monday morning, both in Europe and the United States.

Officials repeat that it is highly unlikely that a vaccine will be available before the end of the year. And when a vaccine is offered, the quantities initially available will be carefully distributed.

The vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is one of ten candidates currently in advanced clinical trials around the world. Another pharmaceutical company, Moderna, also hopes to be in a position to request emergency authorisation from the powerful US Food and Drug Administration later this month.

The participants in the clinical trials, and the researchers, do not know who received a vaccine and who received a placebo. But a week after the second dose, Pfizer began counting the number of subjects who had symptoms of COVID-19 and in whom the coronavirus had been detected.

As the study is ongoing, Dr Gruber was unable to say how many participants in each group were infected. However, a quick calculation reveals that virtually all the infections occurred among the subjects who had received the placebo.

Pfizer will continue the study until 164 infections have been detected among participants, a figure the FDA considers sufficient to measure the vaccine's efficacy. The US agency has indicated that an efficacy rate of at least 50 % will be required.

No subjects were seriously ill, said Dr Gruber. Nor could he specify how many infections occurred in older subjects, for whom COVID-19 can be particularly dangerous.

Only symptomatic participants were tested, so it is not known whether vaccinated subjects could have been infected and continued to spread the virus without knowing it.

With the pandemic still raging, pharmaceutical companies are hoping to ask the world's governments to authorise emergency use of their vaccines while testing continues. This would enable them to get their products to market more quickly, but would also leave certain scientific data concerning their products in abeyance.

By quebec.huffingtonpost.ca

Tag: Coronavirus