Emmanuel Macron will speak on Wednesday October 14 at 8 p.m. on TF1 and France 2 to talk about the Covid-19 pandemic.

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AFP

  • In addition to the National Assembly and Senate committees of inquiry, Emmanuel Macron appointed in June a Mission to assess the management of the Covid-19 crisis.

  • She made a progress report on Tuesday public before final conclusions in December.

  • And the report points to deficits in anticipation and management of the health crisis, even if overall France is in an intermediate situation compared to other Western countries in terms of mortality.

Analyze the public action of the last few months to draw lessons for later.

The National Assembly delivered its report on the management of the crisis in early June, the Senate should issue its own in December.

But Emmanuel Macron had also entrusted in June to a group of five independent experts a national mission on the evaluation of the management of the Covid-19 crisis.

Before more successful conclusions for the end of the year, she unveiled a rather critical progress report on Tuesday.

Its originality?

To have compared the French response to that of other Western countries.

A valuable document to better prepare for other disasters, whether health or not.

But also to learn lessons quickly in order to improve the management of the second wave.

Emmanuel Macron will he use these avenues for reflection to refine his announcements Wednesday evening on TF1 and France 2?

The hospital handled the crisis well

Didier Pittet, president of the Mission and epidemiologist repeated it on Tuesday: “the Mission is not there to advise the president on a day-to-day basis, but to assess the management of the first six months of the health crisis in comparison with this. that happened abroad ”.

And not surprisingly, the findings of this independent mission are in the same direction as the hearings in the National Assembly and the Senate.

Among the good points awarded: the hospital was able to cope, quickly and well.

Knowing that the first wave was not the same, whether in terms of chronology, as in magnitude, in all Western countries.

And in France, “the Covid-19 has undeniably hurt a lot,” recalls the Swiss epidemiologist at the risk of upsetting those who continue to think that the disease is not so deadly.

"The hospital system has witnessed a great adaptation in France, he held, he welcomes.

Thanks in particular to the capacities which have increased in intensive care, to transfers of patients, to collaborations between the public and the private sector, to teleconsultations in town… ”

France finds itself in the middle position, between the countries where the epidemic has been limited (Austria and Germany), and the southern countries very bereaved by the crisis (Spain and Italy).

With, at the bottom of the ranking, the examples of the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden, which have, at least for a time, refused confinement.

Thus, France saw an excess mortality per 100,000 inhabitants of 3.97 when Germany was only 0.84 and Sweden at 8.25.

To measure the effectiveness of the political response, this team of experts relied on the number of days during which more than one Covid patient died per million inhabitants.

Germany exceeded this threshold for 44 days, France 68 and Spain 100. But experts warn: the second wave may further shake our hospitals.

"The considerable effort of adaptation and mobilization" provided by health professionals "is not necessarily easily renewable in the months to come", warns the report.

Second satisfaction: "the Scientific Council has been and remains useful," argues Didier Pittet.

Many state agencies have published recommendations sometimes quickly, sometimes more slowly, but it is important to have seconded scientists ”.

On the other hand, the Mission allowed itself a few suggestions: diversify the profiles, "civil society is not represented", regrets Didier Pittet.

A track that the president of the scientific council, Jean-François Delfraissy also calls for.

And that will surely interest the power, while the scientific council is supposed to cease its work at the end of the month.

"Anticipation and management failures"

But the report is also critical of the management of the crisis.

In particular on the action of the health authorities and the executive "The first observations of the Mission highlight the manifest defects of anticipation, preparation and management", write the rapporteurs in black and white.

“We have seen the gradual decline in the level of priority given to the prevention of pandemics between 2010 and 2020, analyzes Didier Pittet.

The detection sensors have malfunctioned and the coronavirus has overtaken us.

Ultimately, it was the Italian clinicians who allowed France to realize what the reality of the epidemic was.

"

Even if the wrongs are shared.

“Neither the WHO nor the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control recognized that the scenario of a pandemic was probable,” he continues.

France is not the only state in this case, far from it!

".

On the particularly controversial subject of masks, the report even points to “serious management inadequacies”.

“The doctrine on masks changed several times between 2010 and 2020, raises Didier Pittet.

But in France, you are the world champions in the production of fabric masks, no country has done it so quickly and to Afnor standards in addition!

"

Nevertheless, these experts recommend work on structural weaknesses: crisis management hit by a lack of dialogue between the ministries, a "complex organization of relations between the ministry managed by Olivier Véran and the agencies and bodies which surrounding, a difficulty of articulation between regional health agencies (ARS) and prefectures ”… Conclusions which could nourish the future debate on the Segur of public health, expected in the fall.

Because all the reports point in the same direction: France has paid for its public health deficit.

Indeed, our very curative health system does not pay enough attention to prevention.

"These problems arise from our very hospitable approach", adds Raoul Briet, president of the first chamber of the Court of Auditors and co-rapporteur.

Communication, an essential axis

Third important point, which the president should consider carefully before his intervention on Wednesday: communication has failed.

“Communication has taken on a unique importance compared to the epidemics of the past,” notes Anne-Marie Moulin, doctor, philosopher and member of the Mission.

It is part of the answer and not just an appendix.

"

"The confidence of the French has been very shaken by the history of decisions on masks and tests," sighs Didier Pittet.

This is why, at this stage of their investigations and while France is facing a second wave, the Mission urges the government, among others, to "transform communication", "better establish the legitimacy of decisions in health matters", "organize sharing. information between ARS and healthcare establishments ”…

“Between the start of the crisis and today, there have been undeniable improvements in communication,” continues the President of the Mission.

The commissions in other countries are also very critical.

We must remain humble and remember that we are all learning.

"And his colleague Pierre Parneix, public health doctor at Bordeaux University Hospital, added:" The goal is not to point the finger at such an organization, but to do differently in the future to be more efficient.

But will France have the capacity to improve what already exists to better manage the second wave?

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