- The head of government calls on the prefects to "get closer to local elected officials to extend as much as possible the obligation to wear a mask in public spaces".
- But will this be enough to contain the spread of the virus?
- For the moment, companies are not affected by this measure, which is however being studied by the government.
It was rampant. Extension of the obligation to wear a mask outside and ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people extended until October 30. Faced with an "epidemiological situation [which] is evolving in the wrong direction", Jean Castex hardened his tone. "I say it with a form of gravity: if we do not react collectively, we expose ourselves to a high risk of epidemic resumption which will be difficult to control", warned the head of government on Tuesday, warning against a new imprisonment. tension of “the entire health chain”, but also of “our economy, our education system, our collective and cultural life”.
So, to avoid the dreaded second wave of coronavirus and to ward off the specter of a massive reconfinement, Jean Castex called for “reacting individually and collectively” and “vigorously”, and indicated that he would “ask the prefects to come closer local elected officials to extend as much as possible the obligation to wear a mask in public spaces ”. But will these measures be enough?
"We must make the mask mandatory in business"
"Develop as much as possible the places where there is an obligation to wear a mask", here is the main measure announced by the head of government. Several municipalities have already imposed for several days the wearing of masks in some of their streets, including Paris and Marseille. “In markets, where people can be very close to each other, wearing a mask outside can be useful, but more than outside, it is necessary to make the wearing of a mask compulsory in all enclosed places, so also In the enterprises. It is today the most protective element against the coronavirus, estimates Dr Jérôme Marty, general practitioner and president of the French Union for Free Medicine (UFML). The contamination rate outside is quite low, it is the responsibility of individual contamination. Everything is done within the walls, as illustrated by the case of this asymptomatic woman who infected more than 70 people while taking the elevator to her residence. Indoors, social distancing is not enough to protect from the spray cloud of the virus: imagine someone smoking in a room, the smoke from their cigarette will reach you, whether you are two or even three meters away. This is why wearing a mask in all enclosed places is absolutely essential, ”insists the doctor.
Regarding companies, the Prime Minister indicated that he had asked the Ministers of Labor and the Economy "to see how we can as much as possible generalize in the workplace the wearing of masks", recalling that they were "Governed by protocols which were most often negotiated branch by branch". "No two workplaces are alike, which is why the application of absolutely systematic measures is sometimes contrary to the desired effect," he added.
“We have seen the effects of the lack of masks in nursing homes,” recalls Dr Marty. Then we learned to manage this virus and take all sanitary measures to prevent it from spreading. However, after August 15, it will be the end of the holidays for many employees, who will massively return to work. This is why it is essential that this obligation to wear a mask be extended by then to companies, to avoid a risk of massive contamination, ”he warns.
Young adults, major vectors of virus transmission
The Minister of Health Olivier Véran had already noticed in early July: the arrival of summer has led to a relaxation in respect of barrier gestures. And in recent weeks, this summer lightness has resulted in an increase in new contaminations, especially among young people. "The circulation of the virus is intensifying, especially among young people, notes the Directorate General of Health (DGS) in its last point of August 10. Adolescents and young adults, less at risk of developing a serious form of the disease, can help spread the virus and infect their loved ones, parents, grandparents and vulnerable people, for whom the consequences can be serious ”. Thus, during the week of July 27 to August 2, Public Health France noted an increase in the number of new clusters detected, which appeared in particular after gatherings. "These gatherings can concern the entire population, but more particularly the 20-30 year olds, in whom an increase in the number of cases tested positive for SARS-COV-2 has been identified in several departments and regions in recent weeks, the agency observes. sanitary. During this summer period conducive to major population movements, it is essential to educate the entire population and especially young adults in the application of barrier and social distancing gestures to limit the spread of the virus ”. In one week, 10,800 new cases were recorded.
Consequence: Jean Castex announced a strengthening of controls "on compliance with all the rules intended to prevent the spread of the virus: respect for barrier gestures, the wearing of masks", especially in restaurants, or "the obligations of declaration of gatherings of more than ten people ”. For Dr Jérôme Marty, “young people should not be stigmatized, nor should they all be put in the same basket: many of them respect barrier gestures. But it's hard to keep them all from partying in the summer, he admits. We must rely on the broadest possible collective protection, make the prevention message understood, and ensure that as many people as possible wear a mask ”.
Facilitate screening tests
Today, the head of government wants at all costs "to avoid above all a backtracking, an important reconfinement, it is essential and it is within our reach", and calls for "to be lucid", and, "For some" to "pull themselves together". And to avoid this scenario, massive screening is a serious plus. A large cotton swab inserted deep into the nostrils: while PCR screening can provide effective results, the procedure could however discourage young people (and those not so young) from getting tested. “You have to push the swab deep enough to take where the virus is lodged, for about ten seconds, and in each nostril. It is a rather unpleasant sample to undergo for the patient, not to mention that today, we lack professionals trained to carry out these tests, recalls Dr. François Blanchecotte, president of the Syndicate of biologists. This is why we are asking for the simplification of screening tests, continues the biologist, with faster and equally reliable samples, in order to increase our capacities and be able to ensure massive screening ”.
“Of course, many people today are still resistant to the idea of being screened by PCR, because they are scared and it is not pleasant, says Dr Marty. The need to facilitate screening is one of the major issues we are facing today. According to the latest data revealed by Public Health France, the results of PCR tests are communicated on average after 3.6 days. Knowing that more than one in four people are screened within 5 to 7 days after the onset of the first symptoms, we can reach ten days in total before knowing whether or not a person is a carrier of Covid-19. : this period is much too long ”.
The hope of saliva tests
This is why the use of saliva screening tests for Covid-19, simpler than tests with a sample from the nose, is strongly awaited by the health world. On Monday, the High Authority for Health (HAS) thus issued “a favorable opinion” on Monday for an “allocation of an innovation package for molecular detection tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for Covid-19, carried out on saliva samples ”. Temporary funding granted by the Ministry of Health, after a favorable opinion from the HAS. It was requested by the French Society of Microbiology and the Andrée Rosemon Hospital Center in Cayenne (Guyana) on August 6 and will allow the use of these tests and their financial support during the clinical trial provided for by this device. This fixed price indeed involves carrying out a study aimed at providing missing data and confirming the value of the innovation.
This saliva sample "painless, is likely to be better accepted by patients, especially if they have to be tested repeatedly", underlines the HAS. "However, many uncertainties persist as to their reliability", according to the authority, which "considers that important elements of reliability are still lacking for immediate generalized use as an alternative to nasopharyngeal tests", which are, themselves, supported by health insurance.
"If these tests were to be validated, it would be a major asset in the strategy for controlling the coronavirus epidemic in France," assures Dr Jérôme Marty. There would no longer be a need to go through a laboratory, there would not be such a long delay, since a result can be obtained in an hour for one of these devices, and it would even be possible to make highly targeted screening, in risk areas. This would unlock different situations, especially for the resumption of sporting events, or to test an entire business when a case occurs. If they are reliable, I sincerely hope that these devices will be quickly available ”.
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Health
Coronavirus: "If we let young people become infected, the virus will escape us", warns Jean-François Delfraissy
- Jean Castex
- Youth
- Screening
- epidemic
- Covid 19
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- Coronavirus