- If the CHU notes a clear slowdown of the epidemic, it remains vigilant in the face of the possibility of a new wave.
- He is actively preparing for the deconfinement phase, notably with a new platform that will allow the university hospital to carry out a total of 3,000 screenings per day.
- At the same time, he is continuing his experiments, notably Coverage, which will compare four molecules against Covid-19.
After having been the initiator of numerous projects around the prevention and treatment of Covid-19, the Bordeaux University Hospital is now preparing for the phase of progressive deconfinement. In an interview with 20 Minutes , its director Yann Bubien announces that the hospital will be able to perform 3,000 screenings per day as of May 11.
The Bordeaux University Hospital treated one of the very first Covid-19 patients in France. Did this help you in the organization to set up in the face of the epidemic?
Very clearly, having the first French patient Covid-19 on January 24, a Bordeaux resident who was on a business trip to Wuhan, gave us a head start. Immediately, we had to respond to this case hospitalized in the infectious diseases department of Professor Denis Malvy, and this enabled our healthcare teams to quickly grasp this new virus that no one knew yet. This allowed us to think about our strategy, when we did not yet know at that time that we would have an epidemic in France. We isolated the patient who stayed three weeks in the service, we identified all the contact cases to avoid the spread of the disease.
Then you reorganized the CHU, with in particular an advanced post in front of the emergencies?
We first set up a screening unit within the CHU to screen all symptomatic patients, in a large hangar where you can come by car, with a walking circuit in front. Then, we opened an advanced medical post in front of the emergency room, with two large Samu tents, to distinguish two streams: Covid or suspect patients, and patients who a priori do not have Covid. And we also have an advanced pediatric emergency medical station.
Like other hospitals, have you seen a drop in patient attendance for other illnesses other than Covid-19?
We see it everywhere. We have a 60% drop in adult emergencies, we have less stroke… Patients prefer to wait, but their problem cannot wait. They are taking a real risk, even though we have organized ourselves with separate channels to continue welcoming patients to the CHU without any problems. Maximum protection is guaranteed, so do not hesitate to come to the hospital when you need it.
Will the non-urgent operations deprogrammed soon be reprogrammed?
It is a subject that must be anticipated with the deconfinement that is coming, indeed. This will be done gradually, with the decrease in the number of Covid hospitalized people. The reprogramming of activity is not for tomorrow morning, but certainly from the month of May, remaining vigilant to be able to increase capacities quickly if we ever see that a new wave is coming.
Today, in any case, is the epidemic slowing down?
There is a marked slowdown in the epidemic in New Aquitaine. This shows very clearly that containment works. We saw it in the figures: after two weeks of confinement, we noticed a plateau, then a slight drop, then a more pronounced drop like today. But we must remain vigilant before any sign which would show a revival of the epidemic. This is why we are reorganizing the waiting rooms, the bedrooms, to avoid any difficulty. And we will screen all the people who will be operated at the CHU. We believed for a long time that we would have an epidemic with a peak, we see today that we are on an epidemic that will last. So we have to have a long-term strategy, with a virus that we still know little about. It is a long distance race that will last for weeks, even months.
Part of the key to successful deconfinement will be screening. What is planned in this area?
Today we carry out an average of 500 screenings per day, but we have the capacity to go up to 1,000. And we have a new platform that arrived on Wednesday, and which will allow us to do 2,000 additional screenings per day, or 3,000 in total from May 11. We must also see if we will organize a kind of drive in the city center, on a parking lot. It is still to work with the town hall.
On research, you have launched several experiments, including Coverage which will compare four treatments.
Coverage is a huge project, completely new, with teams who travel at home with people who have the Covid. We are going to test four molecules, of course hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, imatinib, and telmisartan, with patients over 65 years of age. The idea is to have 1,000 patients, and we should have first results within a month. But the study will last throughout the epidemic in France, and so we will have results throughout. In all, we have launched a dozen clinical trials within the CHU.
You have also initiated two platforms, to educate liberal professionals, and to monitor patients.
The Ville Hop platform is the link between the CHU and liberal professionals, whether they are doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses, etc. They have a special number to call our doctors who respond to the Covid 7/7 days. And the second platform is Rafael, an app for any Covid patient monitored at home, who can inform them every day of their state of health, which allows us to call each patient when there is a doubt. This follow-up avoids any hospitalization at the last moment.
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- Coronavirus
- Covid 19
- Society
- Bordeaux
- Containment
- Aquitaine