the spread of the epidemic slows down slightly

Fewer positive cases, a falling incidence rate but even more hospitalizations: this is what Public Health France’s weekly update for New Aquitaine reveals. The spread of the epidemic is slowing down but the indicators must be interpreted with caution, the organization warns. “With imprisonment, people tend to undergo fewer tests,” read the report released Friday. And only the PCR test results are taken into account, which is not yet the case with antigen tests.

Significant decrease in the Dordogne and the Atlantic Pyrenees

The fact remains that between 9 and 15 November 10,643 new cases of coronavirus were declared. It was nearly 17,000 the previous week. There has also been a decline in the incidence rate in the region for two weeks. It now stands at 177.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 283.2 / 100,000 between 2 and 8 November. However, the decrease is less significant in subjects over the age of 75 with an incidence rate of 255 / 100,000 (280 last week).

Even though the incidence rate is declining in all departments of the region, strong disparities remain. Charente-Maritime is the best endowed with a rate of 75.6 / 100,000, while it is in Creuse that it is the most important (290.7). The most significant decreases are observed in the Dordogne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Haute-Vienne.

85% of hospitalized patients are over 60 years old

Even though the number of patients is decreasing, New Aquitaine is still facing an increase in the number of hospitalizations. Santé Publique France explains “the time lag between diagnosis and the appearance of severe forms that require hospitalization, estimated between 10 days and 3 weeks”.

As of November 17, 1,842 patients with Covid were hospitalized compared to 1,637 as of November 10. Almost 45% of these patients are found in hospitals in Gironde and the Atlantic Pyrenees. Almost 85% of patients are over 60 years old. 276 people are currently in intensive care.

Fewer new outbreaks

Finally, on the cluster side, there too the trend is downward with 108 new outbreaks declared against 172 in the previous week. In total, 452 clusters are in progress, mainly in Gironde and the Atlantic Pyrenees.