- To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, some people, deemed to be at risk or contaminated, must stay at home for 14 days.
- Feelings of exclusion, boredom, fear of contaminating those around them: these are some of the impressions experienced by our readers concerned.
- And some have been tempted to go for a walk to break their isolation.
No more coffee breaks with colleagues, evening aperitifs with friends, wild shopping spree. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, some French people are confined to their homes. Because they were contaminated, because they were in direct contact with an infected person, or because they live or have stayed in a cluster (focus of contamination).
A hard experience for many, as Mouloud, a resident of Creil, in Oise (one of the foci of coronavirus in France), who has been confined since March 2, says: “My colleagues call me and take my news. We miss each other. But this feeling of being ostracized from society is terrible to live with, ”describes this 38-year-old medico-psychological aide who responded to our call for witnesses. "It is not easy to know that one is limited in one's freedoms", also testifies Coralie, who is confined to Lombardy (Italy). "We feel very lonely, we have the impression of carrying the plague", also sums up Jacqueline, confined to her home in the Oise because she has all the symptoms of coronavirus. And sometimes, confinement appears as excessive prevention: "I have no symptoms, no illness, but I have the strange feeling of being dangerous for others", launches Lucile, confined because her children have stayed in the Oise during school holidays.
"Staying alone all the time wears out"
A feeling of exclusion felt even more strongly by those who have been infected with the virus: "The hardest part is having the feeling of being plagued," confides Philippe, confined since last Tuesday. And the longer the isolation lasts, the less it seems bearable, as Nora attests, in the fortnight for eleven days: “Psychologically, there was clearly a break-down after 6 days of confinement. Friends are less present by text, family calls less, the adrenaline of the first days subsides. We have the impression that everyone forgets you ”. "Staying alone all the time wears out," adds Alexandre.
And the days seem long when you stay at home. To pass the time, Laetitia, confined because her colleague was declared positive for the coronavirus, tries to vary the occupations: "I make pastry, a little sport, a little cleaning and I watch TV". And sometimes it takes violence to keep a dynamic: "I force myself to do 1 hour of yoga and 1 hour of pilates per day, it has become the most important moment of the day," says Nora.
At home and at school
There is no risk of being bored, however, for Laure, who is confined with her children to La Balme (Haute-Savoie), a city which has counted many positive cases: “We teach at home. Professors send instructions over the Internet and plan live videoconferences. And I take advantage of this "free" time to tidy up, sort through administrative papers, make appointments ... "Ditto for Lucile, who ensures the academic continuity of her children:" The days are maintained as when the children go at school: same time for getting up and going to bed, same time for recreation. My children's teachers and the director send me information and lessons by e-mail. The hardest part is responding to the different needs of two children who want attention at the same time, ”she says.
As for Léa, confined for having spent holidays in the Carnac cluster , she decided to make a good heart against bad luck: "From a school point of view, it's beneficial, because it allows me to revise my partials which are at the end of March, ”says the student.
"We opted for drive-through races"
And some have had the temptation to go for a ride, like Lucile: “We opted for drive races to limit contact with anyone. But many products are missing and we must resist the temptation to go to the store. Fortunately, we are fortunate to have a garden, so the children can get some fresh air without breaking the confinement. ”
Another difficulty for the “confined”: to protect those around them. "Living with my partner, I always wear a mask when she is at home," says Ryan, who has all the symptoms of coronavirus. Even more difficult for Nora, who lives in a shared flat and lives in her bedroom because of three confirmed cases of coronavirus at work: "I am forbidden to share my bathroom, my meals, to speak for more than 15 minutes and less than two meters from my roommates. I have to wear a mask as soon as I go to common areas like the kitchen, I have to clean the door handles regularly, ”she describes.
And even if the "confined" are aware that their isolation will end, some fear the return to work, like Laetitia: "I apprehend the look of my colleagues," she says.
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