A top medical advisor of France warned the country of the emergence of the second wave of the coronavirus faster than people would have thought, Agence France Presse reported.
The advisor said on Sunday that France will face a big wave of the epidemic that will overwhelm its healthcare system.
Patrick Bouet, head of the National Council of the Order of Doctors, told the weekly Journal du Dimanche: “The second wave is arriving faster than we thought.”
He also said that the implementation of fresh restrictions could slow the spread, especially in worst-hit areas that include the Mediterranean city of Marseille and the Paris region.
“France will face a widespread outbreak across its whole territory, for several long autumn and winter months,” Bouet said.
He cautioned that France would not be able to meet all the health-associated demands due to inadequate medical staff.
The health workers responsible for the spring “miracle” would not be able to plug those gaps, he said, adding that many of them are exhausted and traumatised by the first wave.
According to the worldometer dashboard as on Monday, France has so far reported more than 538,000 cases of the novel coronavirus, with 31,727 died and 94,891 recovered from the disease.