Tomorrow, all masked? Never considered until then since France was hit by the Covid-19 epidemic, the hypothesis is slowly but surely making its way into people's minds. Proof of this is this questioning of the Head of State, this Tuesday April 7 by the mayor of La Courneuve, Gilles Poux. During Emmanuel Macron's surprise visit to Seine-Saint-Denis, the elected representative asked him "the generalization of masks, even in fabric". Response from the President of the Republic: "There are subjects to think about ...". A small step, certainly, but a first step anyway, when the Academy of Medicine had set foot in the flats on Thursday, April 2 by advocating a compulsory port during outings, including with alternative models and less perfected than those of nursing staff.
A stone in the pond which puts the executive under pressure, and in the obligation to decide quickly. Especially since local initiatives are increasing in recent days to force the French to hide their faces. As in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) where the mayor (LR) Christian Estrosi announced Monday that he was going to take a municipal decree in this sense. Same thing in Sceaux (Hauts-de-Seine). And in Paris, Anne Hidalgo announced on Tuesday that 2 million cloth masks will soon be distributed to residents. Result, the question of generalization is now "open", recognizes himself the Minister of Health Olivier Véran.
"We are led to question ourselves"
The doctrine of the executive is however, up to now, antipodes: it consists in reserving the surgical masks and FFP2 to the carers, hospital and staff of the Ehpad, judging that the best protection for the other bodies of the population remains the measure of social distancing. In other words: barrier gestures, such as the minimum distance meter and regular hand washing.
Especially since even the World Health Organization (WHO) remains for the moment very reserved on the usefulness of generalizing the wearing of masks, by recalling that it cannot be a question of "the miracle solution" against pandemic. And for two main reasons: the context of a global shortage, which forces patients and the medical profession to be given priority, and the fact that their effectiveness remains relative if they are badly worn or that the other barrier measures are not well respected.
VIDEO. Olivier Véran: wearing a mask is "neither compulsory nor recommended"
A point of view which is debated and which divides, including within the scientific community, of which certain specialists speak of "great error". On March 20, in the columns of Le Parisien - Today in France, several great scientific personalities published an open letter to call on the government to generalize the wearing of masks. Will he follow? "With all the humility that is required in the face of an unknown virus, the answer is ... perhaps", cautiously advanced Tuesday morning Olivier Véran, on BFMTV, saying a little later in the afternoon - midday, during questions to the government, "that as scientific recommendations evolve, we ourselves are led to question ourselves".
"It is not insurance against the virus"
To do this, the Minister of Health has in recent days mandated epidemiologists, virologists, infectiologists ... and, of course, the monitoring scientific council to which Emmanuel Macron refers in each of his strategic decisions, to know if the prescription should or not change. “Sometimes the scientific council evolves. If there are changes in the doctrine, we will take it into account and we will adapt, "assures Matignon, while being aware that providing everyone with a mask will be impossible:" Nothing is won, we have a few weeks of supply ahead of us. If we had to equip the entire population with surgical masks, this stock would drop to two days, ”insists a relative of Edouard Philippe.
As for alternative or artisanal masks, “they meet a social demand. They can serve as a complement, but must not induce a feeling of false security, "continues the entourage of the Prime Minister. "It is not insurance against the virus", engaged in the evening the Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon. Same vigilance on the side of the President of the Republic who reminded Tuesday in Seine-Saint-Denis that he would be "demanding on the subject". Perhaps he will also say more during a televised speech planned in the next few days, why not Thursday evening, where it will also be about the continued containment.
