Coronavirus: what you need to know this Wednesday, April 22

Good evening,

Today, on this 37th day of confinement, while the pressure on hospitals is easing, the ministers have given the Prime Minister their deconfinement plan. For their part, the regional presidents are calling for a process adapted to the territories . In the world, the race for masks and tests is launched with more or less success. In France, the scientific community wonders about the mysterious resistance of smokers to Covid-19 . On the employment front, partial unemployment explodes, which will not prevent the wave of layoffs from breaking out.

Good reading,

Camille Lestienne, journalist at Le Figaro

1. Where is the epidemic?

The Covid-19 epidemic has killed 21,340 people in France since the beginning of March, including 544 new deaths recorded in 24 hours, announced this evening the Director General of Health, during his press briefing. In detail, 13,236 people died in hospital and 8,104 in nursing homes and other medico-social establishments. However, the pressure on hospitals continues to ease, with now two weeks of decline in the number of patients in intensive care. They are now 5,218 patients, nearly 2,000 fewer than two weeks ago.

History of the epidemic in the 80 most affected countries. By Marie Coussin and Nicolas Mondon for Fig Data

Currently, 29,541 people are still hospitalized but, since the start of the epidemic, 40,657 people have returned home cured. In total, France has identified 119,151 cases of contamination.

Read also: Follow the evolution of the epidemic, department by department

2. What happened today

The ministers return their copies. The ministers gave Édouard Philippe their recommendations on deconfinement. A complex situation and "conducive to hiccups" for the executive forced to answer the questions of the population " without deflowering the general plan promised by the Prime Minister, " analyzes our journalist Mathilde Siraud. For their part, the region's presidents Hervé Morin and Renaud Muselier are making their voices heard and are demanding differentiated deconfinement. Decisions eagerly awaited by the French who, for some, are already cracking and defying containment measures while the Élysée Palace does not rule out reconfiguration in the event of a second epidemic wave after May 11.

Read also: Emmanuel Macron seeks the key to "the post-crisis"

Smokers could be protected. The very low proportion of smokers among hospitalized Covid-19 patients questions the scientific community. Does nicotine play a protective role? Tristan Vey, journalist in the Sciences department, tells us the story of this astonishing hypothesis. On the other hand, a very tangible reality for hospital teams is the shortage of essential products in intensive care. To delay, " instead of administering certain drugs continuously, we do it intermittently, " says a doctor.

Read also: In China, a restaurant, air conditioning… and ten sick customers

Global race for masks and tests. As May 11 approaches, the question of mask and test production capacities becomes more acute in France as elsewhere. In the United Kingdom, the controversy is swelling, as much on the shortage of masks for caregivers as on tests whose effectiveness is questioned. In Italy, despite considerable efforts, the country will not be ready for phase 2 of May 4, and will continue to import. In Germany, the shortage of masks monopolizes most of the health debates and overshadows the success of the test campaigns. A good student, Portugal has already tested three times more than in France and mobilizes its textile industry for the production of masks for the general public. Finally, across the Atlantic, the lack of both tests and masks is felt contrary to what Donald Trump claims.

The purge that is being prepared, we must be aware of it, will be of violence, here again, unprecedented.

10 million French people on partial unemployment. Muriel Pénicaud announced it this morning. The bar of 10 million French people on partial unemployment has been crossed, while 6 out of 10 companies use this device. " There is no reason for activity in France to remain below that of other countries, " said the Minister of Labor, who calls on business leaders to resume their activity as soon as possible. If the situation continues, notes the president of Unedic, Éric Le Jaouen, it is the financial sustainability of the unemployment insurance scheme that is at stake. All the more so since a layoff tsunami is to be feared. " The purge that is preparing, we must be aware, will be violent, again, unprecedented, " warns our journalist Marc Landré.

3. Sunbathe, visit, discover…

Tanning (without abusing). The window, our new " south facing terrace ". Deprived of gardens, the French "addicted" to the sun do not give up and transform the slightest opening towards the sky into a solarium. Swimsuit, sunglasses, sunscreen - essential - and towel are an illusion during a tanning session. The occupation is not so futile, underlines our journalist Marie-Gabrielle Graffin, quoting a hospital psychiatrist: “ The sun is synonymous with heat, energy. Its rays alone are not enough to combat a depressive state, generally polyfactorial, but are very useful in case of transient blues. ” Be careful, however, not to go out on May 11 " with the tan of a golden boy ".

Read also: Away from the eyes, far from the bath: in confinement, the hygiene of the French leaves something to be desired

Visit (virtually). The Museum of Angers has found an original way to offset its closure. On the Nintendo Animal Crossing: New Horizons video game , it is now possible to virtually visit the museum spaces with a guide and learn more about the diplodocus or the giant water flea. All you have to do is reserve your place and go to the Mayonnaise Island. The success is such that the tours are sold out until May, but a virtual tour is offered on April 24 on the LeStream platform.

Read also: Cultural tours reinvent themselves in video games

For Western audiences, in the early 1990s, Hong Kong cinema was mostly a slap.

Review (or discover). For almost forty years, Hongkong " has been the capital of Far Eastern cinema ", recalls Étienne Sorin, journalist in the Culture department. "A symbol of success against mainland China ", his cinema was above all " a slap for Western audiences in the early 1990s ". Hong Kong cinema, " with stylized, operative violence ", influenced great filmmakers like Quentin Tarentino before directly infiltrating Hollywood. Three names are particularly to remember and their films to review or discover on VOD: Tsui Hark, John Woo, Johnnie To.

Practice. Confined, athletes discover virtual practice via video games and new technologies. " Cyclists, pilots, footballers, sailors, they all dive into it ," says Cédric Callier, of the Sports Department. The athlete Christophe Lemaître confirms it: " I think there will be more and more technological and digital use which will interfere in the sporting practice.". But e-sport does not stop at training, real competitions between great athletes are organized. From today, the virtual Tour de Suisse will be broadcast on the L'Équipe channel . What also console sports fans from the sofa.

Read also: Virtual F1: Charles Leclerc as fast in his living room as on track

4. Photo of the day

Social distancing respected in this Berlin school for the biology exam of the Abitur, the German bac. TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP

5. Containment, instructions for use

Despite the containment measures, it is possible to leave your home in several cases:

• Go to your place of work, if teleworking is impossible.
• Do your shopping in "authorized local shops".
• Go to the doctor or pharmacy.
• Travel to babysit or care for "vulnerable" people.
• Make brief trips, one hour maximum and within a radius of one kilometer, related to individual physical exercise.
• Go to judicial or administrative summons.
• Participate in missions of general interest at the request of the administrative authority.

Read also: Coronavirus: what is allowed and what is prohibited during confinement

In the event of an inspection, you must present a certificate to the police. It can be downloaded here, on a smartphone or be handwritten. The document must be completed at each outing to justify the reason. Violators are liable to a fixed fine of 135 euros, or even 1500 euros in the event of a repeat offense.

6. The reflexes to adopt

A few simple steps can limit the spread of the virus. Here they are :

• Wash your hands every hour.
• Cough or sneeze into the crease of his elbow.
• Use disposable tissues.
• Avoid kissing or shaking hands.
• Wear a mask when you are sick.
• Limit your movements as much as possible.

Covid-19 is spread by saliva through close contact with an infected person, especially when the person coughs or sneezes. The virus also remains viable for a few hours on different surfaces.

Read also: Coronavirus: highly contagious patients in the first days of infection

The disease manifests itself in several symptoms. In 9 out of 10 cases, this results in a fever below 39 ° C. According to the World Health Organization, this fever is most often accompanied by a state of fatigue , signs of shortness of breath and a dry cough .

7. What to do in case of symptoms?

The most important thing is not to go immediately to a general practitioner or to the emergency room to avoid infecting more people. Wearing a mask is highly recommended. For the rest, the recommendations of the Ministry of Health differ from case to case.

Stay home if you have few or no symptoms , taking care not to infect your loved ones. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. Possibly plan a follow-up teleconsultation with your doctor.

If you feel difficulty breathing , with a feeling of suffocation, after having felt proud and coughing for several days, call 15. Centers 15 being overwhelmed, rhinitis and fever or cough well tolerated should not make the subject of an appeal.

For any other question there are probably many do not hesitate to make a detour by this article.

See you tomorrow.