As the second wave of the coronavirus has exhausted bodies and minds, caregivers across France are preparing to undergo the third wave of an epidemic that seems to never end.

Report at Dreux hospital, in Eure-et-Loir, in an intensive care unit as resigned as it is resilient.

REPORTAGE

"What's in store for us?"

While the Covid-19 epidemic continues to circulate very actively throughout the country, with the threat of different variants of the virus, caregivers are wondering about the extent of the third wave that could overwhelm their services.

"They hold and are the most solid rock that we have in our country," greeted Olivier Véran from Seine-Saint-Denis on Friday.

In the intensive care unit of the Dreux hospital, we fear in any case saturation in the weeks to come.

Physical and moral fatigue

Here, the second wave left marks on all nursing staff.

"Fatigue, it is there for everyone", breaths Séverine, nurse in intensive care.

"It's still more work than we knew."

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Her colleague Julie has also been infected with the coronavirus and is worried about a new peak in arrivals: "Leaving all day with FFP2 masks, taking care of patients who are heavy ... It will be tiring", anticipates she does.

"We're holding on"

Fatigue is also psychological, faced with the massive arrival of patients to be resuscitated.

"It's true that we never manage to disconnect", underlines Magali, nursing assistant.

"Whether you are outside, or at work, you hear about the Covid, the Covid ..." 

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Yet all say they are ready to face this famous third wave so dreaded.

"We're holding up," says Claude, who came as a reinforcement this year.

"More dangerous variant or not, we have to take care of the patients."

Left, once again, to put aside their days off.