Guest of the morning of Europe 1, epidemiologist Catherine Hill returned to the progress of the coronavirus epidemic in France, Monday. She affirms that the screening policy deployed today in the territory is ineffective and calls into question the figures given by the health authorities, which are, according to her, only "the tip of the iceberg".

INTERVIEW

Towards a second wave of the epidemic in France? 3,015 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in France in the past 24 hours, according to figures from Public Health France posted online Sunday evening. Guest of the morning of Europe 1, epidemiologist Catherine Hill said she was "rather worried", because according to her, these figures are only "the tip of the iceberg". "These are the cases that we are given and that we have tested, but there are cases that we have not tested and which escape radar," explains the doctor. "Perhaps we must multiply by ten the number of known cases to have the true presence of the virus in the population," explains Catherine Hill, based on a study by researchers from the Sorbonne and Inserm. "We have never controlled the epidemic", she blurted at the microphone of Europe 1

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"The tests have to go to the people and not the people to the tests"

Asked about the screening policy implemented by the health authorities since the start of the crisis, Catherine Hill criticizes the government's strategy. "We hurt them very much, to anyone, anywhere and anytime: we waste money!" she launches at the microphone of Europe 1. The epidemiologist thus calls for "organizing differently" the system of tests. "It is necessary that the tests go to the people and not that the people go to the tests", and put in place, according to her, a comprehensive system as soon as possible. "Paris will organize tests at the start of the school year, but why wait?"

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"Targeting young people is a mistake"

Also, the epidemiologist calls for targeting those most at risk and not young people, as is currently done. "Targeting young people is a mistake, because the ones who are really sick and who are most at risk of dying are the elderly. So everyone has to be careful because everyone meets people from the outside world. 'different ages,' recalls Catherine Elle. “Massively” testing the elderly and residents in nursing homes, “that would be much more efficient,” she maintains. 

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"We never did the right thing from the start"

While Jean Castex on Tuesday called on the French to "pull themselves together" to avoid a resumption of the epidemic, Catherine Hill also denounces the remarks of the Prime Minister. "It's still pretty great, we try to tell people that in fact, it's their fault what's happening," laments the epidemiologist. "While we have never done what had to be done from the start: massively test the population to find people who are contagious and isolate them quickly to prevent them from contaminating around them", denounces Catherine Hill , who says that today, "we test people when they become symptomatic and give them the results three days later, so it's no use."