Second COVID wave risks being more severe than first – French health minister

PARIS, Nov 5- The second wave of coronavirus infections tearing across France will be more severe than the first experienced in the spring if it is allowed to continue spreading at the current rate, the country’s health minister said on Thursday. France would see the number of COVID sufferers in intensive care peak at 6,000 if the public complied with the new…

PARIS, Nov 5 (Reuters) – The second wave of coronavirus

infections tearing across France will be more severe than the

first experienced in the spring if it is allowed to continue

spreading at the current rate, the country’s health minister

said on Thursday

France would see the number of COVID sufferers in intensivecare peak at 6,000 if the public complied with the new lockdown,or as many as 7,000 if the virus continued spreading as it isnow with not everyone respecting the confinement rules, HealthMinister Olivier Veran said.

It reported more than 4,000 COVID patients in ICU onWednesday.

“The next days and weeks will be difficult,” Veran told anews conference.

France is scrambling to train more health workers. Studentmedics could be called on once again for reinforcements, Veranadded.(Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Editing by Richard Lough andDavid Evans)