- The gerontology center of the CHU wonders "how we will deal with both the heat and a possible upsurge in the Covid epidemic." "
- The head of the center expects "to have a worse tolerance to the heat of the elderly, who used most of them a large part of their resources." "
- Controlled air conditioning and ventilation systems of the establishment do not represent a risk of the virus spreading.
"This announced heat wave has enough to give us cold sweats ..." Head of the clinical gerontology department at the Bordeaux University Hospital, Nathalie Salles without wanting to be alarmist, showed signs of concern Monday during the presentation of the heat wave plan of the University Hospital from Bordeaux.
"In the Ehpad (Accommodation establishments for the elderly), the high temperatures expected for this summer are a little scary, and we wonder how we will deal with both the heat and a possible upsurge in Covid epidemic, ”she explains. "The health crisis that we have just experienced has had important consequences in terms of monitoring chronically elderly patients," she continues. This has led to many breaks in care, and it is expected that these elderly people will have a worse tolerance for heat, most of whom have used up a large part of their resources. "
Possibility "of a pearl epidemic, with epidemic flushes"
The head of the gerontology division is also worried about the possibility "in the coming months of a pearl epidemic, with epidemic flushes, which will make the situation more complicated, at home and in nursing homes. The question is: how to reconcile the prevention measures associated with heat, with those associated with coronavirus infection? For example, not all isolation measures will allow elderly people to be brought together in refreshed dining rooms if you are in an epidemic rush. "
Other signals are intended to be more reassuring, also underlines Nathalie Salles. “If we combine all the measures, blue plan, heat wave plan, and Covid measures, we can do it. At the hospital level, we will do our utmost to hospitalize sick elderly people without passing them through the emergency systematically, and we will strengthen consultations by telemedicine. At the Ehpad level we will be vigilant, and in the event of a red alert, we are ready. "
"We knew that the epidemic was going to last, and we had in mind the heat wave last summer, which started very early"
President of the CME (Medical Commission of establishment) at the CHU, Philippe Morlat also underlines that “we are still in the Covid period, and even if the region has been relatively spared, the news shows that there is still a cluster identified in Bordeaux, and which must therefore be taken into account. The ventilation measures will therefore have to be adapted, for example. "
On this point, Agnès Lasheras Bauduin, hospital practitioner in the hospital hygiene service, is rather reassuring. “The subject of the heat wave raises the question of cooling during the Covid epidemic, through the impact of the spread of the virus from air conditioning systems. As of April at the Bordeaux University Hospital we studied this question, because we knew that the epidemic was going to last, and we already had in mind the heat wave context of last summer, which had started very early in the month of June, it was therefore necessary to prepare, and to ensure that our air conditioning and ventilation systems did not constitute a risk of the spread of this virus. "
"Our air conditioning systems do not pose a risk of spreading the virus"
A risk analysis has been carried out. “The virus can be spread via central air conditioning systems, even if the literature shows that it is relatively unlikely. But we took it into account. At the CHU de Bordeaux, our centralized installations do not recycle the air, or when they recycle it, there is filtration with high efficiency filters, which makes us say that our installations do not at all constitute a risk of diffusion of the virus. "
The other mode of diffusion can be done by fans and air circulation. "This dissemination is actually linked to the contamination of surfaces, which has been really well controlled for months by the various measures put in place: hand hygiene, wearing a mask and surface maintenance which has been reinforced . We therefore also master this method of dissemination because our surfaces are little contaminated in our premises. "
"The risk of an influx of patients with suspected Covid and an influx of patients with heat stroke"
Head of emergencies at Saint-André hospital, Isabelle Faure underlines the risk of possible saturation of emergencies, the heat wave not only affecting the elderly, but can also affect children, people with disabilities or with co-morbidity, or workers working outside, as in the construction sector.
"Emergencies could face a double problem," she said, "a potential influx of patients with suspected Covid and an influx of patients with heat stroke." It is therefore necessary that only serious patients go to the emergency room, and for less serious patients, that they first go as far as possible through the general practitioner or town doctor box. "
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- Covid 19
- Coronavirus
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- Aquitaine
- Heat wave
- Bordeaux