Here are a few facts, some surprising, others predictable,
about France and Covid19. Fr has recorded more than 6,500 deaths in the last month as being caused, or influenced, by the virus. Of these 1,416 occurred in old people’s homes but that’s based on a partial count. 1/10

According to the French public health agency, 90% of deaths of Covid deaths in hospital are of people over 65. As also recorded in China, the modern plague seems to have it in for men. Three in four of the French patients who need ventilators (currently 6,662) are male. 2/10

Here is a fact that will appeal to those who insist the virus is “not so bad” and think we’re over-reacting. The overall death rate in France in March (ie deaths from all causes) was little different from a normal year, according to the stats agency INSEE. 3/10

Only on 26 March, when France reached 55,000 "all deaths" did the 2020 curve overtake that of 2018, which was a normal year for mortality from classic ‘flu. There was comparatively little ‘flu in 2019, so the death rate was a little lower. 4/10

BUT the death rate in départements worst hit by Covid19 is much higher than usual, especially in southern Alsace and the Paris area. Jérôme Salomon France’s top health official said last night that the country was still “nowhere near the top of the wave” of C19 cases/deaths. 5/10

If you’re looking for more hopeful signs…Salomon also pointed out that, after more than 2 weeks of confinement of France, the influx of very sick patients has been slowing in recent days. Overall, Fr seems to be on a slightly lower curve of deaths than It/Sp. 6/10

All the same, he says, France has never previously had “so many patients in re-animation for a single disease”. In normal times France has 5,000 re-animation beds. It now has 6,662 in use. This has been increased to 9,000 en route to a target of 14,500. 7/10

In the meantime, France is moving very sick patients, including some in artificial comas, from swamped areas like Paris/Alsace to little affected areas like the south west. Military aircraft are being used but also high speed trains equipped as mobile hospitals. 8/10

Finally… thousands of police and gendarmes are patrolling motorways and exit roads from cities this weekend to prevent city-dwellers from fleeing to the countryside (hundreds of thousands already have). 9/10

BUT…Reports that there were huge traffic jams leaving Paris last night were false. The only jam was 1km long, caused by police checks. 10/10