Coronavirus: what you need to know this Friday, May 29

Good evening,

Deconfinement, day 19. The French welcome the measures announced by Édouard Philippe as part of phase 2 of deconfinement. Professor Didier Raoult responds in our columns to the vast Lancet study on hydroxychloroquine. The resumption of school will remain very limited in June. Finally, a serology study conducted at the beginning of the month in Morbihan offers us a photograph of the circulation of the virus in the population.

Good reading,

Roland Gauron, journalist at Le Figaro

1. Where is the epidemic at?

The epidemic due to the coronavirus continued its decline on Friday in France while the second stage of the deconfinement of the country should intervene next Tuesday.

Average change in the number of patients over a week. Marie Coussin and Nicolas Mondon / Fig Data

The Directorate General of Health announced in a statement 52 additional victims of the virus, a toll down from the 66 more deaths announced the day before. Hospital deaths are up 61 in 24 hours; on the other hand, the totalization of deaths in Ehpad drops nine compared to Wednesday, the last day when these figures were communicated. The total number of serious cases in intensive care is also down (1361 against 1429 Thursday).

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

The public health agency France for its part indicates that 149,668 confirmed cases of contamination with the coronavirus were recorded, ie 597 cases more than the day before.

2. What happened today

Édouard Philippe is unanimous. Public opinion overwhelmingly supports the decisions announced Thursday by Edouard Philippe, both the lifting of restrictions and the maintenance of certain prohibitions. According to our Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting survey, his performance is unanimously welcomed: six out of ten French people found him convincing and think he told the truth to French people. "A feat when you remember the crisis of confidence at the start of the epidemic," said Marcelo Wesfreid of the Political Service. Matignon refuses any triumphalism. "A month ago, people thought we were doing everything wrong. Now it's the other way around. Let us hope, at least, that we are credited with managing the crisis with honesty, ” confides to Le Figaro an adviser to Edouard Philippe. The Prime Minister was again at the bedside this morning. He notably announced a compensation mechanism of 750 million euros for 12,000 to 14,000 municipalities. When, in Italy, almost 5% of them are bankrupt.

Read also: Renault announces a "vital" plan to restore its finances

Schoolchildren not staying in the same boat. Only 3% of Corsican schoolchildren have already found their way to school when, in Brittany, they are between 44% and 47%. How to explain such disparities? Marie-Estelle Pech from the Company department answered the question. “The west of France, which has the highest concentration of private schools under contract, a little more flexible than public education to deconfinate, was probably encouraged, because of this particular competition, to be more flexible than the rest of the country, " she said. Our journalist also explains to us why, both in primary and secondary school, only half of the teachers found his classroom: “Certainly, many are afraid of the disease. And the very strict health protocol concocted by the ministry put off more than one. But it is not the only reason." According to her, the situation is not about to improve for the parents of students. Because, with 10 to 15 students per class maximum, the resumption of school will still be very limited in June.

The "Lancet" published a study with frightening results for who really saw and treated patients.

The debate over chloroquine continues. Dozens of scientists have published an open letter expressing their "concerns" about the large study published in the Lancet on hydroxychloroquine. This led to the suspension of clinical trials. The signatories ask to know more about the data used. At the heart of the controversy, Professor Didier Raoult responded to his criticisms in an exclusive forum in Le Figaro , believing that scientific publications convey false information. "The Lancet published a study with frightening results for who really saw and treated patients," accuses the director of the University Hospital Institute of Infectious Diseases in Marseille. Our colleague Stanislas Poyet returns on the occasion of this new pass of arms over three months of infatuation, controversy and confusion around chloroquine. "The battle around the figure of Professor Raoult becomes a rat race" , judge Eric Zemmour for his part.

A rare photograph of the epidemic . In the Morbihan, a serology study carried out in early May shows that the virus has circulated much more widely than expected in the department. Almost 10% of its inhabitants have been in contact with the virus. "A rate much higher than the models proposed by the Pasteur Institute, which estimated 1.3% the proportion of people contaminated in Brittany, notes Delphine Chayet of the Science service . But still far from the levels deemed necessary to achieve group immunity and be protected against a second wave. ” The evangelical gathering of Mulhouse, often presented as responsible for the explosion of the epidemic in France, is partly cleared by a vast epidemiological investigation. We also asked the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Île-de-France why the region remained orange in phase 2 of the deconfinement. Partly at issue: a worrying incidence rate in Val-d'Oise.

3. See, read, walk ...

Walk around. We invite you to an amazing walk among the works in the parks of beautiful residences. First stop at Chaumont-sur-Loire. Despite the confinement and the drastic reduction of the teams, the domain has managed to open in style, from May 16, its sculpture park, its artists' castle and its Garden Festival. Direction then 100 km from there, to the Saint-Roch hospice museum, in Issoudun, which shelters a sculpture garden on the banks of the Théols river. Finally, head south. Direction: Château La Coste, near Aix-en-Provence. "Sun hat and gourd required to launch, plan in hand, in this vast garden of sculptures scattered in the dry and fragrant Provencal forest , " warns our journalist Valérie Duponchelle.

Read also: Summer holidays: 15 experiences to live to (re) discover the French countryside

See. Our reporter Constance Jamet watched the Space Force series , piloted by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell. "In ten episodes to discover on Netflix, Space Force follows the peregrinations of General Naird to bring Americans back to the moon in 2024, the latest whim of a tenant of the White House," she summarizes. “ Space Force , which winks at Kubrick's Doctor Folamour, opens with a beautiful promise of satire from Washington and the US Army. The “commander in chief” of the series (never named or shown on the screen) likes to tweet with spelling mistakes and announce cookie-cutter decisions… ” Verdict: “ Despite an inaugural flight enamelled with a few turbulence, the series has the potential, not so frequent these days, to make us laugh towards infinity and far beyond… ”

We enter “L'Ensorcelée” as we plunge into a dream, in the middle of the “wild and famous” heath of Lessay

Read. Alice Develey, from the Culture department, gives three good reasons to reread L'Ensorcelée de Barbey d'Aurevilly, which charmed Baudelaire and Proust. "By what charm Baudelaire, and later Proust, did they succumb to the pen of Barbey d'Aurevilly? One enters L'Ensorcelée as one plunges into a dream, in the middle of the “wild and famous” heath of Lessay. The Norman landscape, nourished by legends, calls to the history of the souls who inhabited it, ” answers our journalist. “The author multiplies the effects of reality and the narratives embedded, to the point of speaking in the language of the land. “Poetry for me exists only at the bottom of reality and reality speaks patois.” But this realism is a mask placed on a dreamlike prose. We advance on a thread stretched between the visible and the invisible, without really knowing what is going on… As in a dream. ”

Read also: Going on vacation by the sea, our experiences to rediscover France this summer

To cook. Chef Olivier Nasti du Chambard, in Kaysersberg, is today the guest of our "La France à la carte" series. The Alsatian, best worker in France, two Michelin stars, invites us to discover the eel from the Rhine. He made it his signature dish: the green eel. “I am a hunter-fisherman at heart. And the eel, I particularly want to , ”he says. “After being a little shunned by the chefs, it even came back into fashion with the craze for Japanese and Nordic cuisine. And if today, and fortunately, its fishing is very regulated in our rivers, I am lucky that small fishermen from the Rhine regularly bring me their beautiful catches. ” The chef also reveals his recipe for smoked eel, mini leeks and orange in jelly.

4. Photo of the day

A masked child has fun with an electric car in Piazza Navona, in the center of Rome. Andreas SOLARO / AFP

5. Deconfinement, instructions for use

The deconfinement does not mark the return to the life of before. It is done gradually and differentiated according to the red or green areas. Here are some rules to remember.

• The movements are allowed a limit of 100 km around the home. Beyond that, a certificate - available here - is required to justify a compelling, family or professional reason. The borders are closed until June 15.
• In public transport , the mask is compulsory and its absence liable to a fine of 135 euros. In Île-de-France, an employer certificate is required during peak hours. It can be downloaded here.
• The gatherings are limited to 10 people in the public space.
• Parks and gardens are once again open in green areas only . Forests, on the other hand, are accessible everywhere. The beaches are in principle closed unless the prefect decides otherwise.
• The practice of individual sport is again authorized outdoors, respecting the limit of 10 participants.
• The places of worship have reopened and religious ceremonies have been able to resume under certain conditions: hand disinfection and compulsory mask, screening at the entrance ...

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 with 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 fatigue , signs of shortness of breath and a dry cough .

7. What to do in case of symptoms?

The most important thing now is to get tested. According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, you should, if you have symptoms, stay at home and contact your doctor who will order a test. While waiting for the result, you must isolate yourself, wear a mask and list the people you may have contaminated.

Read also: From the isolation test to the tracing of contact cases, the patient's journey from Covid

If the test is positive, the Primary Health Insurance Fund will contact those likely to be infected. You must then remain isolated for at least 8 days, taking care not to contaminate your loved ones. Watch your health. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. Possibly plan a follow-up teleconsultation with your doctor.

If you feel difficulty breathing , call 15.

If the test is negative, contact your doctor and follow their instructions.

Have a nice week end.