The five facts to remember from our Barometer on the French and the Covid-19

Illustration of the coronavirus.

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• Every month,

  20 Minutes

  , in partnership with Doctissimo and YouGov, presents its barometer on health on the knowledge and behavior of French people vis-à-vis the coronavirus.

• Their knowledge is very good, both on symptoms and on precautionary measures, and respondents respect confinement.

  But doubts about future vaccines and the consequences of the pandemic on physical and mental health are cause for concern.

Take the pulse regularly.

The French have for eight months been plunged into an unprecedented health crisis and an anxiety-provoking news.

What have they learned about the coronavirus?

Have they adopted barrier gestures?

Do they respect confinement and do they suffer from it?

All these questions, and others, were addressed by this first YouGov * Health Barometer for

and Doctissimo.

Each month,

 present this barometer to see the evolution of French behavior and priorities on the coronavirus, and will look at other health topics.

This first overview shows, among other things, that the French are very familiar with the Covid-19, that they have adopted barrier gestures, respected the second confinement, but that sedentary lifestyle, mental disorders and reluctance in the face of the vaccine should appeal to decision-makers.

Good knowledge of the disease

While the coronavirus has been omnipresent in the media and private conversations for eight months, it is reassuring to see that those questioned are knowledgeable or almost knowledgeable about Covid-19.

Only 3% consider their level of knowledge to be poor about how to protect themselves from this disease.

“Overall, the French, whatever their age group, know it well,” summarizes Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo.

The respondents seem to know the symptoms well, with some variations all the same: 95% know that the loss of smell and taste are part of it, 94% breathing difficulties, 91% fever, 83% for cough… On the other hand , only 75% know that the incubation period lasts between 3 and 5 days.

On the risk factors too, the main comorbidities are integrated: obesity (for 88% of them), diabetes (87%), arterial hypertension (81%) and respiratory and pulmonary diseases (95% ).

On the other hand, three risk factors are less well known: cancer (75%), immunosuppression (66%) and kidney disease (64%).

What, however, is cause for concern is that 19% of French people surveyed delayed or canceled a medical appointment for fear of the coronavirus.

“The instructions were however given on this second confinement not to sacrifice medical monitoring, regrets the doctor.

We must therefore pass on messages: there is no reason today to avoid hospitals and medical offices.

Only the intensive care units are overloaded, circuits for Covid patients have been set up.

”Not to mention that, this time, caregivers and patients alike have masks and other protective equipment.

Respect for barrier gestures ...

Not only do the French master barrier gestures, but they respect them.

Indeed, whether it is hand washing (94%), coughing in the elbow (85%) or using a disposable tissue (88%), the vast majority of respondents have integrated the various precautionary measures.

“Even the ventilation of his home twice a day, about which we communicated less than in Germany, 83% of them know it, greets Gerald Kierzek.

We went from barrier measures that were not known and not applied to reflexes, it is a real change in behavior.

"To see if the next barometers will confirm that these measures have become commonplace ..." Because they work for all winter viruses, flu as gastro, "recalls the doctor.

Our barometer also reflects the relative adoption of the TousAntiCovid application.

In fact, only 26% of respondents say they have downloaded it and 4% have installed it, then deleted it.

In addition, half of those who use the application only activate it for travel certificates.

Only 8% reported a contact case and 6% received a notification advising them that they were a contact case.

... And confinement

More surprisingly, 9 out of 10 respondents say they have respected the second confinement (92%) the first two weeks, and do not plan to relax their efforts until December 1 (90%).

Small nuance: there is all the same 30% of the panel which answers to have "rather" respected the instructions.

"We have heard a lot that the French respect this second confinement little, less than the first," continues the medical director of the Doctissimo site.

On the contrary, these figures show real support.

Young people have also been stigmatized, supposedly less responsible.

But this poll shows that 93% of 18-24 year olds and 90% of 25-34 year olds avoid festive gatherings.

“This sweeps away received ideas and guilt-ridden speeches,” continues the emergency physician.

Physical and mental health impaired

We know how much the epidemic and the second confinement have weakened the mental health of some French people.

A distress that can be read in our Health Barometer: for 52% of those questioned, the Covid-19 has a negative impact on their morale.

More surprisingly, 36% of them say it had no impact on their well-being.

“What concerns me and worries me is that 54% of those questioned have not had physical activity over the past two weeks, notes Gérald Kierzek.

We know their consequences on obesity, on physical and mental health.

Many are worried about the increase in depression.

But limiting outings to 1 km and an hour is a barrier to physical activity.

And that doesn't make any medical sense, when you're outside on your own, what's the problem?

It is a long-term crisis and absurd measures will not hold up.

From the perspective of Macron's speech, this lock could jump.

"

Another part of the interesting study a few hours from the announcements: the barometer focuses on what the French lack the most.

First of all, the fact of moving around freely (65%), almost tied with seeing family (64%), then friends (47%).

Far behind, we find going to a restaurant (34%).

Only 17% regret not being able to go to local shops and 11% to a gym.

However, according to the latest rumors, the government seems to favor a very gradual deconfinement with a reopening of local shops in early December, but an extension of travel certificates after December 1 ... This should continue to limit contact with relatives.

Reluctance to the vaccine

Our Health Barometer joins the various polls published in recent weeks, which suggest mistrust of the future vaccine (s) against Covid-19.

Indeed, if a vaccine were put on the market, 34% would get vaccinated as quickly as possible.

For a quarter of those surveyed, this is a definite no, but 28% say they probably wouldn't go and 14% don't know.

And among those who replied that they would not jump on this vaccine, 36% plan to buy it as a second step.

This additional data underlines the importance, in the coming weeks, of transparency and clear information on the efficacy, harmlessness and value of this vaccination.

France is very divided on the question of vaccination.

And however major this crisis may be, future vaccines against Covid-19 are no exception to this trend.

Thus, for 43% of those questioned, the vaccine should not be compulsory.

“The major stake, it will be its safety, assures Gérald Kierzek.

I see it when I discuss it with my patients, the frantic race for vaccines has tarnished the notion of effectiveness.

"

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* Survey was carried out on 1,015 people representative of the French national population aged 18 and over.

The survey was conducted online, on the YouGov France proprietary panel, from November 18 to 19, 2020. Please click on this link if you would like to know more about this study.

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