Coronavirus: what you need to know this Wednesday, March 25

Good evening,

Confinement, day 9. Since the beginning of the epidemic due to the coronavirus, the editorial staff of Le Figaro is mobilized and tells you about the battle against the Covid-19 which is engaged in the world. We invite you to find in this letter sent each evening a selection of interviews, surveys and reports carried out by our journalists, in France and abroad, as well as practical information.

Today, we take stock of the disaster that is looming in the nursing homes and we give the floor to hospital staff, particularly exposed to the epidemic. Our reporters also take you to Mulhouse, in the heart of the storm, as well as in the Mayenne countryside. The Figaro Economy service offers some tips for shopping in complete safety. And Le Figaroscope has selected five exhibitions to escape from its sofa.

Good reading,

Roland Gauron, journalist at Le Figaro

1. Where is the epidemic?

Health authorities report 1331 deaths recorded in hospital since the start of the epidemic. According to the Director General of Health Jérôme Salomon, 2,827 patients were admitted to intensive care on Wednesday evening, out of a total of 11,539 hospitalized patients. An increase of 231 deaths and 311 new patients in intensive care compared to the day before.

History of the epidemic in the 50 most affected countries. Marie Coussin and Nicolas Mondon for Fig Data

France has 25,233 cases confirmed by PCR test, which is 2,933 more than the day before. "Three thousand nine hundred people left hospital cured and the number is probably much higher because (...) more than half of the confirmed cases of Covid infection are at home, in town, and not hospitalized" , added Professor Jérôme Salomon.

2. What happened today

Tragedy behind closed doors in the Ehpad. As the epidemic accelerates throughout the territory, the establishments which welcome dependent elderly people are overwhelmed by high and unusual mortality. “The absence of a testing policy does not allow us to know if the cause is the coronavirus. These deaths are also not listed in the daily statement presented by the health authorities , ” says Anne-Laure Frémont of the Science service. Many local elected officials echo with Le Figaro the concerns expressed in these structures extremely exposed to the pandemic.

We are going to have colleagues who are going to die.

Caregivers on the front line. Hospital staff are not spared from the epidemic. More than 200 caregivers were infected at the Strasbourg University Hospital when, in Île-de-France, the AP-HP had some 500 infected people in its ranks. "We are going to have colleagues who are going to die," worries Professor Jean-François Timsit of Bichat hospital in Paris. Journalist Jean-Baptiste Semerdjian started meeting several of them. "I operate on people who may have the virus, but I don't have the right mask to protect myself , " says Arthur, a surgical intern. The BCG vaccine could come to their aid, however, a Dutch study believes.

Emmanuel Macron visited this Wednesday the field hospital installed in the emergency on the parking lot of the CHU of Mulhouse. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

Across confined France. "I see in our country the factors of division, the doubts of those who would like to fracture the country when we should have only one obsession: to be united." Emmanuel Macron visited this Wednesday the emergency hospital installed in Mulhouse, one of the first epidemic centers of the country. A medical TGV must also leave the region tomorrow with 20 patients on board. Figaro Magazine reporter Vincent Jolly roams the city streets to meet "medical soldiers" who are fighting against the virus. After the D-Day landing beaches, our special envoy through confined France, Patrick de Saint-Paul, went to Mayenne where, according to him, "the virus has awakened an old anger never digested" .

Read also: Survey: French confidence in the plummeting executive

Do your shopping safely. The question is in everyone's mind: how to do your shopping safely? Guillaume Poingt from the Economy department asked several doctors for advice. Answer: “barrier gestures” are the first bulwark against the epidemic. Contactless payment is also encouraged. Home sales, internet or drive delivery… Several early adopters explained to Éric de la Chesnais how they are trying to reorganize themselves to sell their products despite the closing of the markets. Journalist Louis Heidsieck explains why the egg department is robbed in supermarkets.

Read also: Deserted islands, bunkers, private jets: how do the super rich react to the coronavirus?

3. Cooking, exercising, tinkering…

To escape. The Figaroscope has selected five exhibitions to visit from its sofa. Visit, among others, the Museum of Decorative Arts where Harper's Bazaar magazine , a pioneer in graphic design and style photography, is honored. The Jacquemart-André museum has put online 60 watercolors and a dozen oil paintings, loaned by the Tate from London. The Grand Palais invites internet users to dive into the heart of Pompeii, at the time of its splendor and during the tragedy of its destruction.

Read also: Confinement: with the Sofa Festival, live concerts from your sofa

To cook. Here is a dish that will delight the taste buds of your children. Stéphanie Le Quellec delivers a recipe for homemade fries and ketchup, which she has also concocted for her family. “I try to prepare simple but good things for them. It is important to make them discover the true taste of homemade food from a very young age , ” explains the Michelin-starred chef. His personal touch: "My ketchup is more distinctive than that of the famous American brand: four-spices, garlic, vinegar and sugar give it pep."

A car that does not drive degrades.

Tinkering. The engine does not start any more, the tires are deflated: the cars could suffer damage for having been stored too long in the garage. As Sylvain Reisser, editor-in-chief of the Automobile department reminds us, "a car that does not roll degrades" . "The battery is the first part of the vehicle that can be damaged," he continues. To protect yourself, the journalist presents some simple reflexes to preserve the condition of your vehicle.

Read also: Madelen, our trip to the INA treasure chest

Practice. The closed golf courses, the snags of the little white ball redouble their imagination so as not to lose their hand. “I hung several sheets on the wall and placed a mattress on the floor to cushion the balls. I can thus strike blows, until the iron 7 " , recently confided to the Figaro a hope of the Team of France Boys, which is exercised in the parental cellar. Journalist Alyette Debray-Mauduy suggests several other ideas for continuing to train at home. To be tested immediately.

4. Picture of the day

In China, the drastic restrictions imposed for several months in Hubei province, epicenter of the pandemic, were lifted on Wednesday, except in Wuhan. STR / AFP

Read also: Coronavirus: end of restrictions in Hubei, China

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.
• Go 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 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.