france – ETIDIoH

Rapid #SARS-CoV-2 #variants #spread detected in #France using specific RT-PCR #testing (MedRxIV, abstract)

[Source: MedRxIV, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Rapid SARS-CoV-2 variants spread detected in France using specific RT-PCR testing

Stephanie Haim-Boukobza, Sabine Trombert-Paolantoni, Benedicte Roquebert, Emmanuel Lecorche, Laura Verdurme, Vincent Foulongne, Christian Selinger, Yannis Michalakis, Mircea T Sofonea, Samuel Alizon

doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.20.21251927 | This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review. It reports new medical research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide clinical practice.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 variants raise major concerns regarding the control of COVID-19 epidemics. We analyse 40,000 specific RT-PCR tests performed on SARS-CoV-2-positive samples collected between Jan 26 and Feb 16, 2021. We find a high transmission advantage of variants and show that their spread in the country is more advanced than anticipated.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared no competing interest.

Clinical Trial: NCT04738331

Funding Statement: The authors than the CNRS, the IRD, the ANR and the Occitanie region (PHYEPI project) for funding.

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

This study has been approved by the IRB of the CHU of Montpellier (France).

All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable.

Yes

Paper in collection COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 preprints from medRxiv and bioRxiv

Copyright – The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC 4.0 International license.

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Diagnostic tests; France.

——

#Impact of January 2021 #social #distancing measures on #SARS-CoV-2 #B117 #circulation in #France (MedRxIV, abstract)

[Source: MedRxIV, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Impact of January 2021 social distancing measures on SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 circulation in France

Laura Di Domenico, Giulia Pullano, Chiara E. Sabbatini, Daniel Lévy-Bruhl, Vittoria Colizza

doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.14.21251708 | This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review. It reports new medical research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide clinical practice.

Abstract

Facing B.1.1.7 variant, social distancing was strengthened in France in January 2021. Using a 2-strain mathematical model calibrated on genomic surveillance, we estimated that social distancing allowed hospitalizations to plateau, by decreasing transmission of the historical strain while B.1.1.7 continued to grow. Variant dominance is expected by the end of February-early March in France, with large geographical heterogeneity. Without strengthened social distancing, a rapid surge of hospitalizations is expected in the next weeks.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement: This study is partially funded by: ANR projects DATAREDUX (ANR-19-CE46-0008-03), EVALCOVID-19 (ANR-20-COVI-0007); EU H2020 grants MOOD (H2020-874850) and RECOVER (H2020-101003589); REACTing COVID-19 modeling grant.

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

All relevant ethical guidelines have been followed.

All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived.

Yes

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Epidemiology; B117; France.

——

#Severe #reinfection with #South African #SARS-CoV-2 #variant #501Y.V2: A case report (Clin Infect Dis., edited)

[Source: Clinical Infectious Diseases, full page: (LINK). Summary, edited.]

Severe reinfection with South African SARS-CoV-2 variant 501Y.V2: A case report.

Noémie Zucman1,2*, Fabrice Uhel1*, Diane Descamps2-4, Damien Roux1,2,4, Jean- Damien Ricard1,2,4

1. AP-HP, Hôpital Louis Mourier, Médecine Intensive Réanimation, DMU ESPRIT, F92700, Colombes, France. 2. Université de Paris, UFR de médecine Paris Nord, F- 75018 Paris, France; 3. AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat Claude Bernard, Virologie, 75018 Paris, France; 4. IAME, INSERM UMR 1137, F-75018 Paris, France

*NZ and FU contributed equally

Corresponding author: Dr Fabrice Uhel, Réanimation médico-chirurgicale, Hôpital Louis Mourier, AP-HP, 178 rue des Renouillers, 92700 Colombes, France. Phone: +33 147 606 193. Mail: fabrice.uhel@aphp.fr

Accepted Manuscript

___

Dear editor, The rapid acquisition of herd immunity appears to be the only way out of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the strength and duration of immunity against this coronavirus are still uncertain. Reinfections have been described but remain rare albeit probably underestimated (31 confirmed cases worldwide as of January 2021), and in most cases less severe than the initial infection [1,2]. However, major concern is arising from the recent description of variants carrying mutations providing SARS-CoV-2 with selective advantages. Three emerging variants of concern (VOC) are currently associated with a new rise in the incidence and mortality related to COVID-19. There are well-grounded fears that these VOC could cause reinfections or post-vaccination infections. As a matter of fact, we read with interest the article by Harrington et al. describing a case of reinfection with SARS- CoV-2 Variant VOC-202012/01 [3]. We here report a case of severe SARS-CoV-2 reinfection with South African variant 501Y.V2, four months after recovering from a first episode of COVID-19. In September 2020, a 58-year old immunocompetent male with a history of asthma presented with mild fever and dyspnea. SARSCoV-2 infection was diagnosed by real-time RT-PCR on a nasopharyngeal swab. Symptoms resolved within a few days and the patient tested negative twice in December 2020. In January 2021, 129 days after onset of the first infection, he presented to hospital for recurrent dyspnea and fever. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR was positive again, and viral genome sequencing identified D80A, E484K and N501Y mutations in the spike region, characterizing the 501Y.V2 lineage B.1.351 variant. Seven days later, the patient developed a severe acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. He was treated with dexamethasone and tocilizumab. Antibody testing was positive for IgG against SARS-CoV-2. The patient was negative for HIV, and showed no biological evidence for immunological disorder. He is still in critical condition at the time of submission. The strain responsible for the first episode of COVID-19 was not available for sequencing. However, the occurrence of the primary infection one month before emergence of the 501Y.V2 strain in South Africa and three months before its first description in France rules out the hypothesis of a persistent viral shedding from the first infection.

(…)

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; B1351; France.

—–

#SARS-CoV-2 #transmission among #children and #staff in #daycare centres during a nationwide #lockdown in #France: a cross-sectional, multicentre, seroprevalence study (Lancet Child Adolesc Health, abstract)

[Source: Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

SARS-CoV-2 transmission among children and staff in daycare centres during a nationwide lockdown in France: a cross-sectional, multicentre, seroprevalence study

Eric Lachassinne, MD, Prof Loïc de Pontual, PhD, Marion Caseris, MD, Prof Mathie Lorrot, PhD, Carole Guilluy, MD, Aurélie Naud, MD, Marie-Aliette Dommergues, MD, Didier Pinquier, MD, Evelyne Wannepain, MD, Elisabeth Hausherr, MD, Camille Jung, MD, Prof Vincent Gajdos, PhD, Prof Robert Cohen, PhD, Prof Jean-Ralph Zahar, PhD, Ségolène Brichler, PhD, Prof Romain Basmaci, PhD, Prof Pierre-Yves Boelle, PhD, Coralie Bloch-Queyrat, PhD, Camille Aupiais, PhD, on behalf of theCOVIDOCRECHE collaborators

Published: February 08, 2021 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00024-9

Summary

Background

The extent to which very young children contribute to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is unclear. We aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in daycare centres that remained open for key workers’ children during a nationwide lockdown in France.

Methods

Children and staff who attended one of 22 daycare centres during a nationwide lockdown in France (between March 15 and May 9, 2020) were included in this cross-sectional, multicentre, seroprevalence study. Hospital staff not occupationally exposed to patients with COVID-19, or to children, were enrolled in a comparator group. The primary outcome was SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children, daycare centre staff, and the comparator group. The presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in capillary whole blood was measured with a rapid chromatographic immunoassay. We computed raw prevalence as the percentage of individuals with a positive IgG or IgM test, and used Bayesian smoothing to account for imperfect sensitivity and specificity of the assay. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04413968.

Findings

Between June 4 and July 3, 2020, we enrolled 327 children (mean age 1·9 [SD 0·9] years; range 5 months to 4·4 years), 197 daycare centre staff (mean age 40 [12] years), and 164 adults in the comparator group (42 [12] years). Positive serological tests were observed for 14 children (raw seroprevalence 4·3%; 95% CI 2·6–7·1) and 14 daycare centre staff (7·7%; 4·2–11·6). After accounting for imperfect sensitivity and specificity of the assay, we estimated that 3·7% (95% credible interval [95% CrI] 1·3–6·8) of the children and 6·8% (3·2–11·5) of daycare centre staff had SARS-CoV-2 infection. The comparator group fared similarly to the daycare centre staff; nine participants had a positive serological test (raw seroprevalence 5·5%; 95% CI 2·9–10·1), leading to a seroprevalence of 5·0% (95% CrI 1·6–9·8) after accounting for assay characteristics. An exploratory analysis suggested that seropositive children were more likely than seronegative children to have been exposed to an adult household member with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 (six [43%] of 14 vs 19 [6%] of 307; relative risk 7·1 [95% CI 2·2–22·4]).

Interpretation

According to serological test results, the proportion of young children in our sample with SARS-CoV-2 infection was low. Intrafamily transmission seemed more plausible than transmission within daycare centres. Further epidemiological studies are needed to confirm this exploratory hypothesis.

Funding

Assistance Publique—Hôpitaux de Paris; Mairie de Paris, Conseil Départemental de Seine Saint Denis.

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Serology; Seroprevalence; France; Pediatrics.

——

#Factors associated with the #spatial #heterogeneity of the first #wave of #COVID19 in #France: a nationwide geo-epidemiological study (Lancet Pub Health, abstract)

[Source: Lancet Public Health, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Factors associated with the spatial heterogeneity of the first wave of COVID-19 in France: a nationwide geo-epidemiological study

Prof Jean Gaudart, MD, Jordi Landier, PhD, Prof Laetitia Huiart, MD, Eva Legendre, MPH, Laurent Lehot, MPH, Marc Karim Bendiane, PhD, et al.

Open Access | Published: February 05, 2021 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00006-2

Summary

Background

The objective of this study was to better understand the factors associated with the heterogeneity of in-hospital COVID-19 morbidity and mortality across France, one of the countries most affected by COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic.

Methods

This geo-epidemiological analysis was based on data publicly available on government and administration websites for the 96 administrative departments of metropolitan France between March 19 and May 11, 2020, including Public Health France, the Regional Health Agencies, the French national statistics institute, and the Ministry of Health. Using hierarchical ascendant classification on principal component analysis of multidimensional variables, and multivariate analyses with generalised additive models, we assessed the associations between several factors (spatiotemporal spread of the epidemic between Feb 7 and March 17, 2020, the national lockdown, demographic population structure, baseline intensive care capacities, baseline population health and health-care services, new chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine dispensations, economic indicators, degree of urbanisation, and climate profile) and in-hospital COVID-19 incidence, mortality, and case fatality rates. Incidence rate was defined as the cumulative number of in-hospital COVID-19 cases per 100 000 inhabitants, mortality rate as the cumulative number of in-hospital COVID-19 deaths per 100 000, and case fatality rate as the cumulative number of in-hospital COVID-19 deaths per cumulative number of in-hospital COVID-19 cases.

Findings

From March 19 to May 11, 2020, hospitals in metropolitan France notified a total of 100 988 COVID-19 cases, including 16 597 people who were admitted to intensive care and 17 062 deaths. There was an overall cumulative in-hospital incidence rate of 155·6 cases per 100 000 inhabitants (range 19·4–489·5), in-hospital mortality rate of 26·3 deaths per 100 000 (1·1–119·2), and in-hospital case fatality rate of 16·9% (4·8–26·2). We found clear spatial heterogeneity of in-hospital COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates, following the spread of the epidemic. After multivariate adjustment, the delay between the first COVID-19-associated death and the onset of the national lockdown was positively associated with in-hospital incidence (adjusted standardised incidence ratio 1·02, 95% CI 1·01–1·04), mortality (adjusted standardised mortality ratio 1·04, 1·02–1·06), and case fatality rates (adjusted standardised fatality ratio 1·01, 1·01–1·02). Mortality and case fatality rates were higher in departments with older populations (adjusted standardised ratio for populations with a high proportion older than aged >85 years 2·17 [95% CI 1·20–3·90] for mortality and 1·43 [1·08–1·88] for case fatality rate). Mortality rate was also associated with incidence rate (1·0004, 1·0002–1·001), but mortality and case fatality rates did not appear to be associated with baseline intensive care capacities. We found no association between climate and in-hospital COVID-19 incidence, or between economic indicators and in-hospital COVID-19 incidence or mortality rates.

Interpretation

This ecological study highlights the impact of the epidemic spread, national lockdown, and reactive adaptation of intensive care capacities on the spatial distribution of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. It provides information for future geo-epidemiological analyses and has implications for preparedness and response policies to current and future epidemic waves in France and elsewhere.

Funding

None.

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Epidemiology; France.

——

#Seroprevalence and #risk factors of #exposure to #COVID19 in #homeless people in #Paris, #France: a cross-sectional study (Lancet Pub Health, abstract)

[Source: Lancet Public Health, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Seroprevalence and risk factors of exposure to COVID-19 in homeless people in Paris, France: a cross-sectional study

Thomas Roederer, MSc, Bastien Mollo, MD, Charline Vincent, MSc, Birgit Nikolay, PhD, Augusto E Llosa, PhD, Robin Nesbitt, PhD, Jessica Vanhomwegen, PhD, Thierry Rose, PhD, Sophie Goyard, PhD, François Anna, PhD, Corinne Torre, MSc, Emilie Fourrey, MPH, Erica Simons, MPh, William Hennequin, MSc, Clair Mills, MD, Francisco J Luquero, PhD

Open Access | Published: February 05, 2021 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00001-3

Summary

Background

During the COVID-19 lockdown period from March 17 to May 11, 2020, French authorities in Paris and its suburbs relocated people experiencing recurrent homelessness to emergency shelters, hotels, and large venues. A serological survey was done at some of these locations to assess the COVID-19 exposure prevalence in this group.

Methods

We did a cross-sectional seroprevalence study at food distribution sites, emergency shelters, and workers’ residences that were provided medical services by Médecins Sans Frontières in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis in the Ile-de-France region. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody seropositivity was detected by Luciferase-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Pseudo Neutralization Test. Sociodemographic and exposure related information was collected via a verbal questionnaire to analyse risk factors and associations with various COVID-19 symptoms.

Findings

Between June 23 and July 2, 2020, 426 (52%) of 818 individuals recruited tested positive in 14 sites. Seroprevalence varied significantly by type of recruitment site (χ2 p<0·0001), being highest among those living in workers’ residences (88·7%, 95% CI 81·8–93·2), followed by emergency shelters (50·5%, 46·3–54·7), and food distribution sites (27·8%, 20·8–35·7). More than two thirds of COVID-19 seropositive individuals (68%, 95% CI 64·2–72·2; 291 of 426) did not report any symptoms during the recall period. COVID-19 seropositivity was strongly associated with overcrowding (medium density: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2·7, 95% CI 1·5–5·1, p=0·0020; high density: aOR 3·4, 1·7–6·9, p<0·0001).

Interpretation

These results show high exposure to SARS-CoV-2 with important variations between those at different study sites. Living in crowded conditions was the strongest factor associated with exposure level. This study underscores the importance of providing safe, uncrowded accommodation, alongside adequate testing and public health information.

Funding

Médecins Sans Frontières, Epicentre, Institut Pasteur’s URGENCE nouveau coronavirus fund, Total Foundation.

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Society; Poverty; France; Epidemiology.

——

#Transmission #routes of #SARS-CoV-2 among #HCWs of a French university #hospital in #Paris, #France (Open Forum Infect Dis., abstract)

[Source: Open Forum Infectious Diseases, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers of a French university hospital in Paris, France

Adrien Contejean, Jérémie Leporrier, Etienne Canouï, Jacques Fourgeaud, Alice-Andrée Mariaggi, Fanny Alby-Laurent, Emmanuel Lafont, Lauren Beaudeau, Claire Rouzaud, Fabienne Lecieux, Agnès Greffet, Anne-Sophie L’Honneur, Jean-Marc Tréluyer, Fanny Lanternier, Anne Casetta, Pierre Frange, Marianne Leruez-Ville, Flore Rozenberg, Olivier Lortholary, Solen Kernéis

Open Forum Infectious Diseases, ofab054, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofab054

Published: 02 February 2021

Abstract

In this case-control study on 564 healthcare workers of a university hospital in Paris (France) contacts without protection with COVID-19 patients or with colleagues were associated with infection with SARS-CoV-2, while working in a COVID-dedicated unit and having children kept in childcare facilities were not.

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Healthcare Workers, Determinants, Case-Control study

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial reproduction and distribution of the work, in any medium, provided the original work is not altered or transformed in any way, and that the work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; HCWs; France.

——

Two-step #strategy for the #identification of #SARS-CoV-2 #variant of concern 202012/01 and other variants with #spike #deletion H69–V70, #France, August to December 2020 (Euro Surveill., abstract)

[Source: Eurosurveillance, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Two-step strategy for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern 202012/01 and other variants with spike deletion H69–V70, France, August to December 2020

Antonin Bal1,2,3 , Gregory Destras1,2,3 , Alexandre Gaymard1,2,3 , Karl Stefic4 , Julien Marlet4 , Sébastien Eymieux4 , Hadrien Regue1 , Quentin Semanas1 , Constance d’Aubarede5 , Geneviève Billaud1 , Frédéric Laurent6,7 , Claudia Gonzalez1 , Yahia Mekki1 , Martine Valette1 , Maude Bouscambert1 , Catherine Gaudy-Graffin4 , Bruno Lina1,3 , Florence Morfin1,3 , Laurence Josset1,3 , the COVID-Diagnosis HCL Study Group8

Affiliations: 1 Laboratoire de Virologie, Institut des Agents Infectieux, Laboratoire associé au Centre National de Référence des virus des infections respiratoires, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; 2 These authors contributed equally to this article; 3 CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team VirPath, Univ Lyon, Inserm,4 U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France; 4 Service de Bactériologie-Virologie-Hygiène, CHRU de Tours, France; INSERM U1259, Université de Tours, Tours, France; 5 Occupational Health and Medicine Department, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; 6 CIRI – Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Pathogenesis of staphylococcal infections Inserm U1111, CNRS UMR5308, ENS Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France; 7 Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Institut des Agents Infectieux, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; 8 The members of the COVID-Diagnosis HCL Study Group are listed below

Correspondence: Laurence Josset

Investigators: COVID-Diagnosis HCL Study Group: Jean-Sébastien Casalegno, Emilie Frobert, Vanessa Escuret, Vinca Icard, Marion Jeannoel, Marie-Paule Milon, Christophe Ramière, Caroline Scholtès, Jean-Claude Tardy, Mary-Anne Trabaud, Isabelle Schuffenecker

Citation style for this article: Bal Antonin, Destras Gregory, Gaymard Alexandre, Stefic Karl, Marlet Julien, Eymieux Sébastien, Regue Hadrien, Semanas Quentin, d’Aubarede Constance, Billaud Geneviève, Laurent Frédéric, Gonzalez Claudia, Mekki Yahia, Valette Martine, Bouscambert Maude, Gaudy-Graffin Catherine, Lina Bruno, Morfin Florence, Josset Laurence, the COVID-Diagnosis HCL Study Group. Two-step strategy for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern 202012/01 and other variants with spike deletion H69–V70, France, August to December 2020. Euro Surveill. 2021;26(3):pii=2100008. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.3.2100008

Received: 05 Jan 2021; Accepted: 21 Jan 2021

Abstract

We report the strategy leading to the first detection of variant of concern 202012/01 (VOC) in France (21 December 2020). First, the spike (S) deletion H69–V70 (ΔH69/ΔV70), identified in certain SARS-CoV-2 variants including VOC, is screened for. This deletion is associated with a S-gene target failure (SGTF) in the three-target RT-PCR assay (TaqPath kit). Subsequently, SGTF samples are whole genome sequenced. This approach revealed mutations co-occurring with ΔH69/ΔV70 including S:N501Y in the VOC.

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; VOC2020121; France.

——

#Attitudes of #HCWs towards #COVID19 #vaccination: a #survey in #France and French-speaking parts of #Belgium and #Canada, 2020 (Euro Surveill., abstract)

[Source: Eurosurveillance, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Attitudes of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 vaccination: a survey in France and French-speaking parts of Belgium and Canada, 2020

Pierre Verger1 , Dimitri Scronias1,2 , Nicolas Dauby3,4,5 , Kodzo Awoenam Adedzi6 , Cathy Gobert7 , Maxime Bergeat8 , Arnaud Gagneur9,10 , Eve Dubé6,11

Affiliations: 1 ORS PACA (Southeastern Health Regional Observatory), Faculty of Medicine, Marseille, France; 2 Centre d’investigation clinique de l’Hôpital Cochin-Pasteur (CIC 1417), Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; 3 Department of Infectious Diseases, CHU Saint-Pierre – Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; 4 Centre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; 5 Institute for Medical Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; 6 Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec – Université Laval, D’Estimauville, Quebec City, Canada; 7 General Practice, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; 8 Maxime Bergeat (MS) – French Ministry for Solidarity and Health – Statistical Service (DREES), Paris, France; 9 Department of Pediatrics, centre de recherche du CHUS, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; 10 Université de Sherbrooke-campus de la santé, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; 11 Anthropology Department, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada

Correspondence: Dimitri Scronias

Citation style for this article: Verger Pierre, Scronias Dimitri, Dauby Nicolas, Adedzi Kodzo Awoenam, Gobert Cathy, Bergeat Maxime, Gagneur Arnaud, Dubé Eve. Attitudes of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 vaccination: a survey in France and French-speaking parts of Belgium and Canada, 2020. Euro Surveill. 2021;26(3):pii=2002047. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.3.2002047

Received: 07 Dec 2020; Accepted: 21 Jan 2021

Abstract

In October and November 2020, we conducted a survey of 2,678 healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in general population immunisation in France, French-speaking Belgium and Quebec, Canada to assess acceptance of future COVID-19 vaccines (i.e. willingness to receive or recommend these) and its determinants. Of the HCWs, 48.6% (n = 1,302) showed high acceptance, 23.0% (n = 616) moderate acceptance and 28.4% (n = 760) hesitancy/reluctance. Hesitancy was mostly driven by vaccine safety concerns. These must be addressed before/during upcoming vaccination campaigns.

–

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; HCWs; France; Canada; Belgium; Vaccines.

——

Highly Pathogenic #Avian #Influenza A(#H5N8) Virus #Spread by Short- and Long-Range #Transmission, #France, 2016–17 (Emerg Infect Dis., abstract)

[Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, full page: (LINK). Abstract, edited.]

Volume 27, Number 2—February 2021 | Research

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Virus Spread by Short- and Long-Range Transmission, France, 2016–17

François-Xavier Briand , Eric Niqueux, Audrey Schmitz, Claire Martenot, Martine Cherbonnel, Pascale Massin, Florian Kerbrat, Marina Chatel, Carole Guillemoto, Cecile Guillou-Cloarec, Katell Ogor, Aurélie Le Prioux, Chantal Allée, Véronique Beven, Edouard Hirchaud, Yannick Blanchard, Axelle Scoizec, Sophie Le Bouquin, Nicolas Eterradossi, and Béatrice Grasland

Author affiliation: Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail, Ploufragan, France

Abstract

We detected 3 genotypes of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) virus in France during winter 2016–17. Genotype A viruses caused dramatic economic losses in the domestic duck farm industry in southwestern France. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that genotype A viruses formed 5 distinct geographic clusters in southwestern France. In some clusters, local secondary transmission might have been started by a single introduction. The intensity of the viral spread seems to correspond to the density of duck holdings in each production area. To avoid the introduction of disease into an unaffected area, it is crucial that authorities limit the movements of potentially infected birds.

–

Keywords: Avian Influenza; H5N8; Poultry; France.

—–

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: