10 and 25% of the population has been contaminated. Too little to cause herd immunity.
Epidemiologists from the country’s Covid platform, with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO), have estimated the number of cases at between 30,000 and 75,000 since the beginning of the epidemic. They have estimated that there are between two and five times more infected people than confirmed cases. Many infected people have not experienced any symptoms, the so-called asymptomatic cases. There are also probably many people who did not see a doctor because the symptoms were mild and lasted only two or three days. These people often thought they actually had a simple flu. Our colleagues at Tahiti Info reveal that there is a great disparity in the cases of Covid. Thus “certain areas of French Polynesia were much less contaminated than others. And the vast majority of Covid-19 cases are in the Windward Islands. »Collective immunity is therefore not for tomorrow, since 70% of the population would have to be contaminated. However, it seems that the large number of Covid cases in French Polynesia is slowing down the epidemic.
Major study in progress
To refine these results, the health authorities will conduct a new large-scale study. They will take samples from a sample of the population of the Windward Islands. This study will make it possible to adapt prevention policies and to know with a little more precision the number of people who have been contaminated. It should be pointed out that although the epidemic seems to be receding, the battle is far from being won.
Epidemic receding… a little
Finally, it should be noted that, although the trend of a decline in the epidemic is confirmed, the game is still far from won. The intensive care unit is still very busy. Those in charge of health in Polynesia are categorical: sanitary restrictions must be maintained.
