REPORTAGE
The trend is confirmed from week to week: doing a virological test (PCR) to find out if you are infected with the coronavirus is not an easy task. In certain areas of the territory, such as Paris and Île-de-France, it takes two weeks to have an appointment and almost a week to have results. The screening chain is seized with the ever-increasing demand and this leads to a painful situation for people who want to know whether they "had" it or not.
>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Tuesday August 4
In front of this Parisian laboratory, all the reasons are good to be screened. "I'm going on vacation next Sunday", explains a young woman who, "to be sure", "preferred to take the test before leaving". "I would like to know if I am potentially a carrier or not", abounds another patient in the queue.
"Psychosis"
But in front of these French people still so numerous to want to know if they have or not the Covid-19, should we make a hierarchy? “My head hurts and I had a runny nose,” Martin describes. Despite these symptoms, because of this influx, the young man will have to wait four days to find out if he is indeed infected. "There, I admit that I find that a little too much", he regrets. "There is a form of psychosis vis-à-vis this pandemic. I understand that in our society where we hear more about illness and death, everyone reacts in a little irrational way."
CORONAVIRUS ESSENTIALS
> Coronavirus: three questions on rapid serological tests in pharmacies
> Holidays: should grandparents worry about looking after their grandchildren?
> Coronavirus: in schools, the health protocol will remain the same at the start of the school year
> Coronavirus: the 5 mistakes not to make with your mask
> Coronavirus: what we know about transmission by micro-droplets in the air
The extension of the delays is explained by the fact that the machines which read the results run at full speed and break down. Karine, who wants to reassure herself before going to see her parents, is "aware" of participating in the current congestion of the screening system.
Holidays don't help
At the same time, this patient justifies her decision to go to the laboratory to find out about her immune situation: "We are also told to protect our elders, so there was really the only solution we had to reassure ourselves. little, "she says. "We are told to test ourselves. But if we had been told it was no use, we wouldn't have." Holidays for biologists do not help: next to the establishment visited by Europe 1, the laboratory displays on its storefront "Annual closure, from August 1 to 30".