- To combat the spread of the coronavirus within the medical profession, the government has announced the requisition of stocks of FFP2 masks, in order to deliver them to health professionals.
- A viral video shows the opening, in a pharmacy of the Oise, of a batch of masks whose expiration date is fixed in March 2020.
- The general direction of the health assures to 20 Minutes that these are "always valid".
“We requisition all stocks and the production of protective masks. We will distribute them to healthcare professionals and to French people affected by the coronavirus. This measure, announced by Emmanuel Macron on March 3, will have waited only one day before coming into force thanks to a decree published in the Official Journal on Wednesday.
Until May 31, the government will therefore requisition FFP2 type respiratory protection masks held "by any legal person under public or private law".
In addition, around 10 million masks have been extracted from the strategic stocks of the Ministry of Health, valued at 160 million, and distributed in all pharmacies in France for health professionals, Olivier Véran announced on Tuesday. And the Minister of Health added that an additional 15 to 20 million will arrive "as the need arises".
The receipt of the first destocked batches, however, gives rise to questions and concerns. Like this tweet that has gone viral of Igor Sahiri, a reporter for BFMTV, sent to the town of Crépy-en-Valois (Oise), prey to measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus: "Masks surgical stocks of national nurses have just arrived in some pharmacies. They expired in March 2020… ”
The video filmed by the journalist indeed shows several boxes of a "lot 44" each containing fifty surgical masks, but above all carrying an expiration date fixed at "March 2020" (and a manufacturing date going back to " March 25, 2015 ”).
Surgical masks from national stocks for nursing staff have just arrived in certain pharmacies.
They expired in March 2020 ... # CORONAVIRUSENFRANCE @BFMTV pic.twitter.com/qQOjLPpaH9
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Contacted by 20 Minutes , the general direction of health indicates that "the masks whose expiration date is March are not expired" but "still valid" and "to use first": "As these masks were urgent and were intended to be used immediately, the question of their expiry date in March does not really arise. "
It also specifies that within the government's stock, "the masks with the closest expiration date were sent first" to the field, without however specifying the number of boxes expiring in March 2020. "[These ] masks are for immediate need. They were removed from the strategic stock and delivered. They can be used now, ”adds the Directorate General for Health, recalling that other masks must be manufactured and delivered.
In addition, all the masks delivered to health professionals by the government do not expire in March: a report broadcast this week on BFMTV and retracing their journey to pharmacies and doctor's offices where they are distributed, showed in particular a " lot 49 ”with an expiration date of May 2020 (at 1'26 on the replay video).
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