For these future vacationers, the denial of the seventh wave of Covid-19

• 3, 2, 1, that's it, it's the holidays, the months of July and August, the beaches, the mojitos (in moderation), the bars, the party, the friends, the sun.

• But now the very ugly guest of the past two years, the coronavirus, is showing up again with the start of a seventh wave.

• And faced with the rise in cases, some, ready to go on vacation, are in denial.

Denial (noun): Defense mechanism of the ego which consists in denying a traumatic perception of external reality.

This definition of the little Larousse sticks well with the state of mind of Maxime, 32, in front of the figures of the Covid-19 and this seventh wave which rises: 50,000 cases per day, 100,000 cases, 150,000, a billion if he must, whatever…: “I don't care about the Covid, I will leave in July, and my trip to San Sebastien will take place.

And my summer 2022 will be beautiful.

And there will be bars, crowds, beaches.”

And we're going to stop there in the quote before he engages in the conclusion of his future wild nights.

Gone are the morbid fears of 2020 or 2021 when, paralyzed by the fear of new confinements or restrictions, the young Parisian had nothing reserved.

Here he is determined to bite into happiness to the fullest.

Like him, many French men and women seem to look away from the coronavirus when looking at their summer.

According to the recent annual barometer from Europ Assistance*, 37% of French people are worried about the impact of the coronavirus on their travel plans, compared to 54% in 2021. Only 53% of travelers intend to avoid crowded places, compared to 71% l 'last year.

Finally, 40% want to leave the borders this summer, versus 28% in 2021.

With 85,000 cases per day on average right now, it's hard to say that the coronavirus is just a distant memory.

But it becomes for many a distant fear.

Aurélie, who is going to Brazil (we share her enthusiasm, excuse us), lists the reasons to be reassured when taking her tickets: “We had 400,000 cases in January and nothing was closed, we are almost all triple vaccinated, resuscitation is less full… ”But very quickly, his real argument is exposed, much less pragmatic: “We lived two horrible years.

It can't go on to a third.

This summer must be beautiful, we deserve it.

“A magical thought that the psychologist Chloé Riva, a specialist in well-being, knows well: “In life, sorrows must have a meaning, a purpose.

That's why after the confinements,

vaccines, QR codes, many are in denial that the coronavirus could return: it would be as if all the past efforts had been for nothing.

»

One will suffice

Simon, 24 years old and in college, retains previous years as a guide to bad practices not to be reproduced: “In 2020 and 2021, we were freaking out that the coronavirus would resume, so we dared not book anything or prepare anything.

Finally, it was quite possible to travel.

And we ended up like idiots with nothing planned when we could have had a blast.

".

This year, everything was planned-booked-booked in April.

The student philosophizes: “It is better to be wrong to have tried than to have been right to be cautious.

»

Still, the wave is rising and the debates on wearing a mask are flourishing again, and the young man's knees are starting to play castanets from shaking: “These holidays must pass.

It has to pass”.

Remember last (shitty) summer

So let's admit that it passes, it will be to take advantage of it.

Still according to the Europ Assistance survey, while inflation could have tended to limit departures, 74% of French people intend to leave this summer, i.e. 7 points more than in 2021, and even five more than in 2019, before the health crisis.

The average budget increased by 11% compared to the previous year, for a similar length of vacation (2.1 weeks).

And 71% of French people say they are "enthusiastic" about the idea of ​​this summer, far, very far from the figures for the coronavirus.

“The violence of the restrictions linked to the pandemic should not be underestimated.

The real denial is the speeches "We only asked people to stay at home, it's not that complicated", when there was real suffering on the part of the population, ”pleads Chloé Riva .

According to figures from the CoviPrev study of May 2022, 25.4% of those questioned showed signs of an anxious state (12 points more than in 2017), 15.1% showed signs of an anxious state. depression and 11.3% of the panel indicated having had suicidal thoughts, 3 points more than in 2021. A suffering France which would explain this choice to ignore Covid-19: “People exclude any possibility of a pandemic during their vacation because they need that vacation.

Really need, ”supports the psychologist.

Decompensation and non-guilty pleasure

In more psychological terms, this phenomenon is reminiscent of that of “decompensation: we cash in, we cash in, we cash in, and then at one point, we let go of everything”, depicts the expert.

Hence the choice of Brééééésiiiiiiil (we will calm down, promise) for Aurélie, yet contrary to her values: “Normally, I prefer a French destination, or accessible by train or car.

And I avoid countries with which I disagree politically, which is the case with the presidency of Bolsonaro.

But there, I saw Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, the Iguazu Falls, I really wanted to.

»

Simon is also determined to see the country after the fountain of youth dried up for two years: "This shitty virus has stolen two years that were supposed to be among the most beautiful, with the most adventures, parties and of travel.

We didn 't do anything.

It's time to make up for lost time.

»

*

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