First cases of Omicron in France are exhibiting mild symptoms, November 2021–January 2022

A. Maisa (1, 2) , G. Spaccaferri (2) , L. Fournier (3, 2) , J. Schaeffer (4, 2) , J. Deniau (2) , P. Rolland (2) , B. Coignard (1, 2) , A. Andrieu (5, 2) , O. Broustal (2) , S. Chene (2) , S. Chent (2) , E. Fougère (2) , G. Gbaguidi (2) , M. Hamidouche (6, 7, 2) , A. Lamy (2) , Q. Mano (2) , B. Mastrovito (2) , A. Mercier (2) , G. Modenesi (2) , G. Picard (8, 2) , J. Prudhomme (2) , F. Rapilly (2) , A. Riondel (2) , M. Rivière (2) , B. Villegas Ramirez (2) , A. Zhu-Soubise (2) , M. Zurbaran (2) , A. Amzert (2) , L. Andreoletti (2) , A. Bal (2) , R. Beaurepere (2) , S. Behillil (2) , L. Belec (2) , C. Bernard (2) , L. Bocket (2) , L. Bouri (2) , T. Bourlet (2) , C. Bressollette-Bodin (2) , S. Brichler (2) , C. Brugerolles (2) , S. Cado (2) , V. Calvez (2) , N. Capron (2) , S. Castelain (2) , J. Castro-Alvarez (2) , M.-L. Chaix (2) , C. Charpentier (2) , D. Che (2) , C. Chillou (2) , P. Colson (2, 9) , P. Coudene (2) , A. Crinquette (2) , A. de Rougemont (2) , H. Delagrèverie (2) , C. Delamare (2) , T. Denecker-Berardino (2) , D. Descamps (2) , M. Desroches (2) , G. Destras (2) , G. dos Santos (2) , A. Ducancelle (2) , S. Ducreux (2) , T. Duret (2) , V. Enouf (2) , S. Fafi-Kremer (2) , C. Felici (2) , S. Fourati (2) , P.-E. Fournier (2, 10) , C. Gaudy (2) , H. Germain (2) , V. Giordanengo (2) , O. Gorge (2) , S. Haim-Boukobza (2) , C. Henquell (2) , A. Holstein (2) , L. Houhamdi (2, 11) , J. Izopet (2) , V. Jacomo (2) , A. Jacques (2) , M.-C. Jaffar-Bandjee (2) , M. Jimenez (2) , L. Josset (2) , S. Kemeny (2) , M.-E. Lafon (2) , A. Le Bars (2) , G. Le Corguille (2) , Q. Lepiller (2) , A. Levasseur (2, 9) , N. Leveque (2) , B. Lina (2) , C. Madelaine (2) , C. Malabat (2) , S. Marque-Juillet (2) , T. Martin-Dunavit (2) , P. Mavingui (2) , A. Merens (2) , I. Messak (2) , L. Morand-Joubert (2) , X. Naudot (2) , P. Neybecker (2) , J.-M. Pawlotsky (2) , L. Pilorge (2) , J.-C. Plantier (2) , C. Poggi (2) , M. Pretet (2) , C. Ragot (2) , H. Raoul (2) , S. Rogez (2) , A.-M. Roque-Afonso (2) , B. Roquebert (2) , D. Rousset (2, 12) , F. Rozenberg (2) , C. Sagot (2) , S. Sahnoune (2) , D. Salgado (2) , O. Sand (2) , C. Saudemont (2) , E. Schvoerer (2) , E. Simon-Loriere (2) , R. Stephan (2) , J. Sudour (2) , V. Thibault (2) , E. Tuaillon (2) , A. Vabret (2) , E. Vallee (2) , S. van Der Werf (2, 13) , J. van Helden (2) , L. Verdurme (2) , A. Vignola (2) , D. Wilkinson (2) , Y. Yazdanpanah (2)

1 Santé publique France - French National Public Health Agency [Saint-Maurice, France]
2 EMERGEN consortium
3 iPLESP - Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique
4 ARC - NASA Ames Research Center
5 Service d'Hépato-gastro-entérologie et Nutrition [CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges]
6 IMT Atlantique - ITI - Département lmage et Traitement Information
7 Lab-STICC_DECIDE - Equipe DECIDE
8 IGE - Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement
9 MEPHI - Microbes évolution phylogénie et infections
10 VITROME - Vecteurs - Infections tropicales et méditerranéennes
11 IHU Marseille - Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée Infection
12 Institut Pasteur de la Guyane
13 GMV-ARN (UMR_3569 / U-Pasteur_2) - Génétique Moléculaire des Virus à ARN - Molecular Genetics of RNA Viruses

Objectives We aimed to investigate the first Omicron cases detected in France in order to assess case characteristics and provide supporting information on the possible impact of this variant on the healthcare system. Methods A standardized questionnaire was used to collect information from confirmed and probable Omicron cases. Results Median age of 468 investigated cases was 35 years, 376 were symptomatic (89%); 64% were vaccinated with two doses and 7% had received three doses. Loss of smell and taste were reported by 8.3% and 9% of cases, respectively. Seven cases were hospitalized, three of those were unvaccinated (including two with reported precondition). No admissions to intensive care and no deaths were reported. Conclusions Our results confirm a mild clinical presentation among the first Omicron cases detected in France and highlight the importance for the national COVID-19 surveillance system to quickly detect and adapt to the emergence of a new variant.

Mots clés: COVID-19; Epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2; Signs and symptoms; Surveys and questionnaires

Domaines: Bactériologie; Cardiologie et système cardiovasculaire; Maladies émergentes; Maladies infectieuses; Parasitologie; Virologie

A. Maisa, G. Spaccaferri, L. Fournier, J. Schaeffer, J. Deniau, et al.. First cases of Omicron in France are exhibiting mild symptoms, November 2021–January 2022. Infectious Diseases Now, 2022, 52 (3), pp.160-164. ⟨10.1016/j.idnow.2022.02.003⟩. ⟨hal-03678985⟩