The mask is compulsory throughout the metropolis of Montpellier, as here, in the Ecusson -

LODI Franck / SIPA

  • The Hérault is resisting the epidemic outbreak experienced by the other departments of the Mediterranean coast: the incidence rate is 184, against 295 in the Gard.

  • "We remain very dependent on potential clusters", confides Professor Jacques Reynes, head of the infectious diseases department at the hospital.

  • The CHU, however, on Friday, triggered level 3 of its White Plan.

The departments of the eastern Mediterranean coast have all crossed worrying incidence rates of the coronavirus.

But the Hérault seems to be still resisting.

While the Gard, on the other side of the Vidourle, has reached an incidence rate of 295 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants, jumping by 48 points in one week, the Hérault has oscillated, since the beginning of the month of March, between 162 and 185. This week, the department has an incidence rate of 184, against 253 in France.

"We can not really predict whether it will increase or not, we are a bit on the edge of a razor, in the Hérault, entrusts

20 Minutes

Jacques Reynes, infectious disease, head of the department of infectious and tropical diseases at the Montpellier University Hospital. .

We remain very dependent on potential clusters.

As soon as there is a more or less clandestine demonstration, the conditions are created to create this type of situation.

"

The CHU has triggered level 3 of the White Plan

The Montpellier professor says he is "attentive to what will happen when the temperatures change".

“For now, it's still pretty cool,” he says.

But once the good days come, it's not impossible for the viral epidemiology to change, both because conditions for the virus will change, and because people won't stay in it.

"Because, provided that the sanitary measures are well respected," when you run around in nature, you do not run many risks to yourself, or to others, "continues Jacques Reynes.

In Montpellier, the CHU triggered level 3 of the White Plan on Friday, which consists of reorganizing its services to cope with a potential influx of patients.

This new step responds to a request from all establishments in the region from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Occitanie, in view of the evolution of the epidemic.

Additional beds in intensive care

This new stage of the device aims to "increase the capacity of hospitalization in critical care, to prepare and be able to continue to take care of both Covid-19 patients, and also, we talk less, the others, the non-Covid-19 patients, who need intensive care, confided this Tuesday at

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, Julie Durand, the general secretary of the Montpellier hospital.

All of the hospital's intensive care beds are occupied either by Covid-19 patients or by non-Covid-19 patients who have serious pathologies, for example people who have multiple trauma after a road accident, or a stroke.

"

In this service, 34 patients with coronavirus were taken care of on Tuesday at the Montpellier CHU.

The other intensive care beds are also occupied, but by patients with other pathologies.

"This is why we created [Monday] a dozen additional critical care beds, which will allow us to welcome new patients", explains the secretary general of the CHU.

"We must not relax our efforts"

In Hérault, according to the latest report from the ARS, published on Tuesday, 62 people with Covid-19 are treated, in total, in intensive care and critical care services, two more than on Friday.

These figures take into account the transfers of patients who have arrived in Occitania in recent days.

At the Montpellier hospital, Julie Durand has observed, in recent weeks, “an increase, an upward trend, but which is not regular”.

In Hérault, 213 coronavirus patients are being treated in health establishments in the department, three more than on Friday.

By way of comparison, in the Gard, this indicator jumped from 179 to 200 in four days.

"The situation at the Montpellier University Hospital tells us that, in terms of health, the situation is still very fragile, tweeted, Monday, the mayor Michaël Delafosse (PS).

We must not relax our efforts, for ourselves, for others, for caregivers.

"

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