Now largely dominant, the Omicron variant causes less severe forms of Covid, resulting in shorter hospital stays and a lower risk of requiring intensive care. On the contamination front, the decline continues, confirming that the fifth wave of the epidemic has begun to recede.
French hospitals are currently accommodating 31,522 Covid patients (with 1,329 admissions in the past 24 hours), a decrease from last week (32,867).
The decrease also continues in the critical care units that treat the most severe cases, particularly in intensive care, with 3,324 patients (including 156 daily admissions) compared to 3,606 a week ago.
On average, over the last seven days, positive cases amount to 145,619 compared to 256,329 the previous Saturday.
Deaths remain at a high level, primarily among the unvaccinated and immunocompromised: 161 people have died from the disease in 24 hours.
