Marcelle, Anne-Cyrille, Cindy, Thirsa and her two blond heads… All infected and all now healed. Or almost. For these men and women, the coronavirus will soon be a bad and distant memory. They told it to the Parisian - Today in France. After the symptoms comes the time to return to normal life. It's the time of the next. But in this dark period where we all live to the rhythm of this health crisis of unprecedented magnitude, the concern is rampant. According to an Ipsos survey just published, one in two French people is convinced that a loved one will be affected by the epidemic. A figure that has almost doubled in ten days. And France will declare a "state of health emergency".
"No sequelae" for cured patients
In patients, 12 to 14% have severe forms, 5% are admitted to intensive care. But we often tend to imagine the worst scenarios and forget the essentials: 98% recover. Of the 9,134 cases confirmed in France, now more than 1,000 are cured, announced on Wednesday March 18 the Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon.
"We will also soon see the first patients come out of intensive care," said Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectiology service at Tenon hospital in Paris. Inevitably, this is a reassuring vision, including for the staff. ” In Tenon, nearly 40 caregivers were infected. None were hospitalized. "They are in good shape," said the doctor.
Even in the most affected areas, such as Mulhouse, earlier this week, 45 people, now on their feet, were able to leave the hospital. As for city doctors, remembering the reality of the figures is necessary. "It must be said and said again, the vast majority do not need intensive care," exclaims Dr. Jacques Battistoni, president of MG France, the first general practitioners' union. In addition, people who are cured will be tired, but they will have no consequences. ”
Healing stories can "calm anxiety"
In this anxiety-provoking atmosphere, reading the story of infected and now healed people is virtuous, according to psychiatrist Pierre Canouï, also a specialist in the consequences of the disease. “It can calm the anxiety that takes root in the imagination. If we replace it with realistic images, that changes everything, analyzes the honorary president of the French Federation of Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. It is all the more effective when it is not doctors who say it but people like you and me: a grandmother, a father, a mom. We must build on this positive side and on the resilience of the sick. "
Good news also on the treatment side. Research is advancing rapidly. “In France, there are several trials that are in the action phase. It's not in three months, it's today, ”warns Gilles Pialoux.
In the meantime, suspect cases with mild symptoms should remain at home. And contact their attending physician. "You have to rest and slow down," advises Dr. Battistoni. In case of pain, take paracetamol but not more than “3 g per day! " Anti-inflammatory drugs like Nurofen and Advil should be avoided. "We don't take it at all!" ", He insists. The best treatment? The doctors repeat, it's containment.
