INTERVIEW
"It is a conviction, but it is also the fruit of science", says Michaël Rochoy, general practitioner in Outreau, in Pas-de-Calais, lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine of Lille and co- creator of the stop-postillons.fr site. Guest of Europe 1, Saturday evening, he explains why he militates in favor of the wearing of anti-postilion screens, while France is confronted with the coronavirus pandemic.
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"We don't have a mask, but we have ideas"
But what is an anti-postilion screen? "We chose this term because that of mask evokes surgical masks and FFP2 reserved for caregivers", explains Michaël Rochoy. According to him, if you cannot wear one of these masks, there is still a way to screen. "With a scarf or even masks made of fabric. We also see flowering tutorials on the internet and especially on Facebook," he adds.
The slogan of the initiative? "We don't have a mask, but we have ideas". Also Michaël Rochoy declines the different types of prototypes which can act as anti-postillon screen: plastic screens, or even screens from homemade DIY.
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These screens "reinforce social distancing"
"We know that the virus circulates silently, and that it is airborne," said Dr. Michaël Rochoy, referring to the high transmission of Covid-19 through saliva. According to him, the main idea remains to block them thanks to screens to limit their exit. "If they remain less effective than surgical masks to limit the entry of postillions, these screens are still a little," defends the doctor.
Indeed, he adds, the main barrier gestures are not always achievable. "In some convenience stores, there is not a meter difference between two shelves; we will also touch products affected by others," he continues. "However, if you have this screen, you avoid putting your hand to your mouth right after".
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The co-creator of stop-postillons ensures it, wears an anti-postillon screen reinforces the effectiveness of social distancing measures. A conviction reinforced according to him by "a study of the Journal of disaster medicine and preparation for public health in 2011", in which scientists had anticipated a situation of epidemic and shortage of mask. Their conclusions? "It is better to have a homemade mask than nothing at all".