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HEALTH

Coronavirus: France records 509 fatalities in one day as French PM warns over end of lockdown

France recorded its highest one-day death toll from coronavirus on Wednesday with 509 more fatalities, bringing the total number of deaths since the epidemic began to 4,032. The French PM said the lockdown, set to run until at least April 15th, will likely be eased in stages around the country.

Coronavirus: France records 509 fatalities in one day as French PM warns over end of lockdown
Austrian medics take care of two French patients infected with the novel coronavirus upon their arrival at Salzburg's airport to be treated at a hospital on April 1, 2020. AFP
The one-day death toll of 509 on April 1st was the highest so far recorded in France and was a slight rise on the 499 reported on Tuesday.
 
The death toll refers to patients who have died in hospitals since the epidemic began but the real figure is likely higher given those who died in care homes for the elderly have not been included in the data.
 
In his evening press conference France's Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon said the number of coronavirus patients in hospital had risen to 24,639, a rise of 1,882 on Tuesday's total.
 
 
Significantly, the number of patients in intensive care (réanimation) had risen sharply to 6,017, up from 5,565 on Tuesday. The initial capacity of intensive care units in France – around 5,500 beds – had now been surpassed, Salomon said.
 
Some 34 percent of those in intensive care were under 60 and 80 of those patients were under 30, the health chief said.
 
On a more positive note he reported that 10,935 patients had recovered from the virus, including 1,491 who had left hospitalin the past 24 hours.
 
Some 2,227 of those patients in intensive care were in hospitals in the greater Paris region of Île-de-France, the regional health authority said on Wednesday. That number reflected a rise of 11 percent on Tuesday. 
 
France's Health Minister Oliver Véran told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that the epidemic in France was on a trajectory that was “extremely serious and worrying… the situation remains extremely tense.”
 
 
 
Véran also added that France has “never carried out as many medical evacuations in our country as in the past 15 days,” referring to the major operation to move critical patients out of overwhelmed hospitals in the Paris region and eastern France to other parts of the country.
 
Some 320 nurses and hospital workers were being reposted to the Paris region and the east from other parts of the country to help ease the pressure on their colleagues.
 
 
Lockdown likely to only end gradually
 
French PM Edouard Philippe told the parliamentary committee that the government was unlikely to end the lockdown – which he recently extended until April 15th, for the whole country at the same time.
 
“It is likely that we are not moving towards an end of confinement that would be in one move, everywhere and for everyone” he declared during his hearing with the National Assembly. He added that the end date could to subject to where people live, testing and their age.
 
“We are working and testing scenarios,” said Philippe before adding later in the hearing that “I don't know the time table yet. The method will be progressive.”
 
Health chief Salomon added: “The French people have understood that confinement will not be abruptly ended” with a return to how things were before.
 
“How will it be done? Progressively? By region? All these questions will be considered by experts. There is no miracle solution,” he added.
 
“We need to evaluate the impact of this confinement. In two to three days we will be able to see if fewer patients are admitted to intensive care.
 
“When will we see a decline in the number of patients in a serious condition?” said Salomon adding that the time will come when authorities will be able to reflect on the strategy of ending the confinement.
 
 
Philippe said that 359,000 fines had been haded out to those deemed to have flouted the strict lockdown rules which have confined French people to their homes and only permits them to leave for certain reasons such as shopping or urgent health visits.
 
Philippe told MPs that fines can go up to €1,500 for repeated offences, and “4 violations within 30 days constitute an offence that the judge can punish with a jail sentence of 6 months, a fine of €3,750 “and a suspension of the driving licence.”
 
France is currently carrying out 30,000 tests a day, far fewer than in neighbouring Germany, a weakness that has been repeatedly noted by the opposition.
 
But France is hoping to greatly ramp up testing in the coming days and weeks with the arrival of serology blood tests and then rapid tests that can provide results in minutes.
 
The government's strategy is aimed at limiting the peak of the epidemic so that the health system is not overwhelmed.

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HEALTH

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As tiger mosquitoes are now present in over 80 percent of mainland France, health authorities are worried that local transmission of tropical diseases, like dengue fever, will increase.

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As of January 2024, tiger mosquitoes – known for their ability to carry diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus – had been detected in 78 of France’s 96 mainland départements, including the Paris region.

This has left public health authorities concerned about the spread of dengue fever in France, particularly this summer as large crowds are expected amid the Olympic Games.

READ MORE: MAP: Tiger mosquitoes reach northern France

How common is dengue fever in France?

In the first four months of 2024, 1,679 cases of dengue fever were identified in mainland France, a number that is 13 times higher than the same period last year, Le Parisien reported.

Crucially, however, none of these are believed to have been contracted in mainland France – they were all reported among patients who had recently travelled from the tropical regions where dengue fever is common.

The majority of cases were from people who had visited the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe – where the disease is endemic.

These islands are for administrative purposes part of France – so often show up in French health data – but they are roughly 7,000km away from Paris.

So far, there have not been any indigenous cases (autochtone – or people infected on mainland French soil) yet this year.

Local transmission of the disease remains relatively rare. In 2023, nine separate outbreaks of indigenous dengue transmission were identified, one of which occurred in the Paris region. These led to 45 cases of local transmission (in mainland France).

Most were in southern France – in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions – though one outbreak occurred in the Paris region, according to French public health authorities.

This is less than 2022, which was a notable year with 66 total cases of indigenous dengue fever were recorded. In comparison, between 2010 and 2021, only 48 cases (total) were recorded.

What to expect for 2024

Experts believe that the number of cases in France, including indigenous ones, will grow this year, as tiger mosquitoes now occupy more territory in mainland France.

On top of that, the number of cases has increased significantly in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“What we see in France is a mirror image of what is happening in the French Caribbean, and more widely in Latin America and the rest of the Caribbean, where dengue fever has been circulating since the start of the year at unprecedented levels”, the head of Santé Publique France, Dr Caroline Semaille, said during a press conference.

The Olympic Games will also bring an influx of tourists from all over the world, and weather conditions are expected to be conducive to mosquitoes – a year with a lot of rainfall, and potentially high temperatures. 

What is dengue fever?

The disease is spread to people from bites by infected mosquitoes.

The most common symptoms are high fever, chills, abdominal, joint and muscle pains, and vomiting. It can also cause a skin rash that resembles measles, according to France’s Institut Pasteur.

Symptoms usually begin three to 14 days (with an average of four to seven) after being bitten.

However people are asymptomatic in 50 to 90 percent of cases (depending on the epidemic), which can make monitoring difficult.

At-risk groups include the immunocompromised, children and the elderly, who are more likely to suffer from severe forms of the disease.

Deaths from the disease are very rare, occurring in around 0.01 percent of all cases, almost all in countries that have poor healthcare systems.

How can I avoid tiger mosquitoes?

Female tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, and they can lay several hundred eggs at once. Therefore try to avoid having any standing water outside your home and be aware of the items that might collect rainwater.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

READ ALSO 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

You can also keep your gutters clean – this helps to keep the water flowing when it rains, and it avoids any stagnant pools from building up.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, in addition to insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

The main difference between tiger mosquitoes and other species would be getting a bite during the day, and the fact that tiger mosquitoes are likely to bite several times. You can tell for sure if it was a tiger mosquito by seeing the insect itself. They are also silent.

There is no immediate cause for alarm if you are bitten, in almost all cases the bites are just itchy and annoying. In very rare cases, tropical diseases can be spread by the mosquitoes – seek medical help if you develop a high fever and rash.

READ MORE: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

What do tiger mosquitoes look like?

They are very small, about 5 mm, and they have a highly contrasting colour, with black and white stripes on their body and legs.

If you believe you have spotted a tiger mosquito, you can report it to public health authorities online.

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