Overview of the third wave in Europe: the French exception?

Epidemiological and hospital data show a varied picture of the situation in Europe and explain the differences in terms of health measures restrictions . In contrast to the second wave of the pandemic, which was characterised by a simultaneous acceleration in infections in most European countries, the third wave resulted in varied epidemic dynamics. Since the beginning of December, the total number of infections has more than doubled in Ireland and the United Kingdom (+146% and +113% respectively) and is up by more than 90% in Germany and Portugal. France posts the smallest increase, with a 33% rise in the total number of new cases. Hospital data also show significant differences in the pressure on hospitals, particularly in the percentage of intensive care beds occupied by COVID patients, which explains the different strategies in terms of health restrictions. In France, the number of intensive care patients has remained relatively stable so far, despite the trend increase in the number of cases. This French "specificity" helps explain the gradual and measured tightening of the health rules, while other countries have been forced to resort to much stricter lockdowns. Could the explanation lie in the lockdown in the autumn of 2020, when France was also the exception? We will find out in the next few weeks. One certainty, however, is that the deterioration in hospital data will result in another lockdown, whose severity (following the example of those introduced in France in the spring of 2020 and the autumn of 2020) will be dictated by the extent of pressure on hospitals.