France: BA.5 at 41% of sequences in week 24, 2022

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“Progressive replacement of BA.2 by BA.5 with a strong increase in detection (41%), increased presence of the mutation at position L452 in screening (64% in week 24 vs 47% in week 23), linked to the increase of certain Omicron sub-lineages including BA.4 and BA.5.”

In week 24, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 continued to progress throughout metropolitan France, with an increase in new hospital admissions, while vaccination coverage for booster shots remains notably insufficient.

  • Metropolitan France:
    Incidence and positivity rates increasing in all regions and age groups
    Hospital admission rate rising, particularly among people aged 80 and over
  • Overseas France:
    Virological indicators still at very high levels but decreasing in Martinique
    Continued increase in the incidence rate in French Guiana
  • Variants
    Omicron BA.2 sub-lineage: 51% of interpretable sequences in the week 23 Flash Survey of 7 June 2022
    Progressive replacement of BA.2 by BA.5 with a strong increase in detection (41%)
    Increased presence of the mutation at position L452 in screening (64% in week 24 vs 47% in week 23), linked to the increase of certain Omicron sub-lineages including BA.4 and BA.5
    .

 

Full French Health Department Covid-19 Epidemiological Update, Week 24:

COVID19-PE_20220623_signets_ENG

 

Similar to the UK, France has seen an increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations as BA.5 supplants BA.2:

 

 

Denmark: BA.5 now dominant with nearly 60% of sequences

 

 

 

 

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

** This post was originally published on June 26, 2022 **