Rising health-care costs, reduced life expectancy, or worsening in young people's mental health: the Covid has had a significant impact on the lives of the French. The six primary implications of the pandemic are detailed in an OECD research released on Monday.
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| Paris, France |
The Covid pandemic has had numerous and very sensitive repercussions on Europeans' health. This is demonstrated in a study released on Monday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) titled "Health Panorama: Europe 2022." The French were heavily influenced. In six points, review the key findings of this study.
1. Explosion in healthcare spending
The epidemic has resulted in a significant increase in healthcare costs across Europe. In France, they will increase by 8.5% in real terms in 2021. This is the most rapid expansion in 30 years.
This rise is mostly attributable to the expansion of the screening program and the initiation of the Covid immunization campaign. The rise in hospital costs and city care is also mentioned.
Health spending as a percentage of GDP has so fallen from 11.1% in 2019 to 12.2% in 2020 and 12.4% in 2021. While the trend is similar in most European nations, France's proportion of GDP for health is the second highest among all EU members in 2020 and 2021, trailing only Germany.
2. Decreased life expectancy
The Covid caused a decline in life expectancy of more than a year in 2021 compared to the level before the pandemic. This is the most significant reduction in most EU nations since World War II. More than 1.1 million fatalities from Covid have been registered in the 27 EU nations by the end of October 2022.
In particular, France is the second most afflicted country, with 171,000 people killed, trailing only Italy. However, life expectancy in France was less affected than in the rest of Europe. Between 2019 and 2021, it declined by 0.5 year. Covid had a far greater influence on life expectancy in central and eastern European nations such as Bulgaria (-3.7 years), Slovakia (-3 years), and Romania (-2.7 years).
3. Mental health impact on French youth
The mental health of the French people has worsened during the epidemic, as it has in most other European nations. Young people have been hit the hardest. During the pandemic, the proportion of young individuals aged 18-24 in France reporting symptoms of depression was twice as high (20%) as before the epidemic (10%).
The most current data indicate no signs of improvement. In September 2022, the proportion of young persons with depressive symptoms was still twice as high as before the epidemic. Adults are not immune either. Adult depressive symptoms in France peaked at more over 20% during lockdowns and decreased to 15% in May 2022. This rate is still greater than it was before the pandemic (13.5%).
4. Limited physical activities
The epidemic has also had an effect on French physical activity. A poll of 4,000 persons done during the first confinement, in April 2020, indicated that 45% reported a decrease in physical activity and 59% reported a rise in screen viewing.
The confinement measures have also had an influence on the youngest, and their relationship with food has changed. According to a French poll, 42% of parents reported their children requested for food more frequently, sometimes out of boredom.
5. Impact on the organization of care
The epidemic has also affected primary health care delivery, cancer screening and treatment programs, continuity of care for those with chronic diseases, and elective procedures. More than 40% of persons with chronic diseases in Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, and Denmark reported that some care had been canceled or postponed.
On the plus side, teleconsultations have at least partially countered the drop in in-person medical consultations during the epidemic in several nations.
6. Flu shot up and down
The outbreak has finally encouraged a rise in seasonal influenza vaccination among adults 65 and older. The 2020-2021 campaign had an 8 percentage point gain over the 2019-2020 campaign. The immunization rate was 60% at the time. During the 2021-2022 campaign, this level of coverage was maintained.
On the other side, there are reservations about the current campaign, which began on October 18. A far slower start has been noted, prompting concerns about a return to pre-pandemic coverage levels, i.e. approximately 50%. As a result, France's coverage rate would diverge from WHO standards. For persons at risk, the institution sets the criterion for seasonal flu vaccine coverage at 75%.