The Minister of Health Olivier Véran, in Paris on November 5, 2020. -
Eric TSCHAEN-POOL
While some French people are reluctant to be tested against Covid-19 before the end of the year holidays, the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, warned this Thursday against the misuse of tests that are not not an "immunity totem".
"If you have any doubts or if you have to go to a vulnerable person, such as in nursing homes for example, you can obviously get tested", declared the minister during a press conference on the health crisis .
"A risk of overprotection"
"But please don't use the test as a sort of immunity totem, it's risky for you, it's risky for your loved ones and for anyone who will actually need to be tested," because they are symptomatic or contact sick before the Christmas period, ”he warned.
Olivier Véran explained that there was "a risk of overprotection, especially when one is not symptomatic", because "having a test which is negative, when one is asymptomatic, does not mean that one is not a carrier. virus ”.
Avoid laboratory congestion
In addition, "the danger would be that twenty people (...) who have planned to share a meal for Christmas, decide to be tested and in confidence, meet at the table, stop the barrier gestures, do not wear the mask, share the same home for several days with fragile people, thinking they are not risking anything, when in reality, the virus is there and the risk of transmission is real ”.
Finally, "we must also avoid the congestion of laboratories, pharmacies, doctors who perform tests."
"If there were 10 or 15 or 20 million French people who wanted to be tested urgently before going to share the Christmas meal, obviously no health structure in the world would be able to cope with it".
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Olivier Véran