Illustration of firefighters - FRANCK PENNANT / AFP

  • In this period of coronavirus epidemic, the Marseille firefighters decided to use a Decathlon mask during intubations.
  • This mask which covers the whole face protects indeed from projections which can convey infectious diseases.
  • This use is for experimental purposes, since no health authority confirms its effectiveness.

This diving mask, flagship product of the Decathlon brand, was rather used to beaches and turquoise waters. He will now be in certain ambulances for Marseille firefighters. According to information from 20 Minutes , during this period of coronavirus epidemic, some of these seafarers will indeed be equipped with the Easybreath mask, which has the particularity of covering the entire face, when they perform intubations.

Good morning all !
For the past few days, we've been reading a lot here about our Easybreath mask: that it could be used to protect caregivers, or modified to fit on a respirator.

Here are some facts to clarify the situation. pic.twitter.com/dREyPpk2Wq

- Decathlon (@Decathlon) March 25, 2020

"Decathlon has established an informal partnership with the Marseille firefighters battalion, confirms the battalion's communication at 20 Minutes . They will provide us with a certain number of units, the exact figure of which is not known at the moment. But for the moment, we will only use one mask, as part of a study in the resuscitation ambulances, which include a nurse, a doctor and a driver. "

"It doesn't protect against coronavirus"

The purpose of using these masks during intubation is to protect doctors from “projections linked to infectious diseases”, as is the coronavirus. "But that does not protect from the coronavirus, only from projections," insists the communication of the battalion of firefighters. This has not been scientifically validated. The teams which will have benefited from this mask will have to say the advantages and the disadvantages of such a use.

Contacted by 20 Minutes , the regional health agency of the Paca region recalls, however, that “no recommendation has been made regarding the use of non-medical devices. For this care, it is not recommended to use these types of masks. "

Marseilles: Dr. Paul Amas is launching a call on FB to recover masks @Decathlon, masks which he will collect at his office 122 Blv Baille to deposit at La Timone. He also asked to find a referent by city to do the same. https://t.co/Vjn4oIHhap # Covid_19fr pic.twitter.com/68je0J5pqi

- News from the SMUR paramedics (@AFASH_ACTU) March 26, 2020

This decision of the firefighters comes when a Marseille dentist, Dr. Paul Amas, launched a call on social networks to equip caregivers with these Decathlon masks, in addition to the masks usually used by doctors. "For our patients to live, we have to survive," he explains. We have twelve weeks to hold. This diving mask had been transformed in Italy for nursing staff awaiting an FFP2 mask.

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  • Coronavirus
  • Marseille
  • Firefighters