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An estimation of undetected COVID cases in France

Most SARS-CoV-2 infections are undocumented. French health-care records and modelling were used to assess the rate of documentation of COVID-19 cases. The findings highlight the need for improved identification of infections.
By
  1. Jeffrey Shaman

    1. Jeffrey Shaman is in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York 10032, USA.

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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has stretched health-care systems, disrupted economies and frayed the fabric of societies around the globe. Nation states have responded differently to the crisis, and only a few countries have managed to achieve continued control of coronavirus transmission. Writing in Nature, Pullano et al.1 report their study of SARS-COV-2 infections in France during late spring and early summer of 2020. Their analysis came after the peak of the first wave of COVID-19 cases there, but before the increase again in the autumn, which led to a higher second wave of cases. The results offer some important lessons.

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Nature 590, 38-39 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03513-9

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Competing Interests

J.S. and Columbia University disclose partial ownership of SK Analytics. J.S. discloses consulting for BNI and Merck.

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