Anne-Claude Crémieux, professor of infectious diseases at the Saint-Louis hospital in Paris, returns to the microphone of Europe 1 on the drastic measures taken by Italy to try to stem the proliferation of the coronavirus in the country. She said that confining certain areas "is bound to be considered by all countries".

ANALYSIS

To fight the spread of Covid-19 in Italy, the government of Giuseppe Conte is using great means. After announcing the closure of schools and universities on Wednesday until March 15, the Italian government launched new emergency measures on Sunday. Lombardy will soon be placed in quarantine, including the economic capital of the country Milan. The region of Venice, northern Emilia-Romagna and eastern Piedmont will also be affected, which sometimes causes panic on the side of the inhabitants. Italy will also close its museums, theaters, cinemas and other performance halls throughout its territory until April 3.

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WHO welcomes action by Italy

At the microphone of Europe 1, Anne-Claude Crémieux, professor of infectious diseases at the Saint-Louis hospital in Paris, reviews these measures, which she does not consider excessive. "All the strategies that aim to avoid the proximity of people to each other (...) are good measures, in addition to hygiene measures," she explains.

Asked more specifically about the global containment of several regions, which affect more than 15 million people in Italy, the professor of infectious diseases at Saint-Louis hospital recalls that she had been employed in China at the start of the epidemic. "With a certain efficiency", underlines Anne-Claude Crémieux. "It is a measure that appears in different response plans of different countries to an epidemic, and it has been welcomed by the World Health Organization." Indeed, the director of WHO congratulated the Italian government, describing on Twitter the measures taken as "courageous".

The government & the people of are taking bold, courageous steps aimed at slowing the spread of the #coronavirus & protecting their country &. They are making genuine sacrifices. @WHO stands in solidarity with & is here to continue supporting you.https: //t.co/Y2rkgUihtA

- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 8, 2020

France next on the list?

"The essential of these measures is to avoid the circulation of the virus," insists the professor. "Not only from one geographic area to another, but within the same geographic area. As this current epidemic has shown: it is the gatherings of people and in particular in closed places that are an accelerator ", of the propagation, affirms Anne-Claude Crémieux.

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But while the Haut-Rhin and Oise departments, two major centers of the epidemic in mainland France, will see their schools closed for the next fortnight, would it be possible to imagine an Italian scenario in France ? "These measures are bound to be considered by all countries," replies Anne-Claude Crémieux, saying that the most important thing will not be whether containment will take place, but when it will be decided. "If the measures are taken too late, they risk being less effective. If they are taken too early, they risk being difficult to maintain in the long term and maintaining the essential activity of the country," he explains. she.