"No Mask! If you are looking to get a mask at a pharmacy to protect yourself from the possible threat of Chinese coronavirus, you may come across this poster. Almost all the pharmacies in the capital are now out of stock. "It's crazy, since last week, everyone in the neighborhood wants it, Asian customer or not" explains Samantha, employed in an important pharmacy in the 13th district. Here lives a large part of the Chinese community of the capital, "so inevitably, it creates a form of psychosis, even if it is completely irrational" sighs the young woman.
In his pharmacy, a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, Pascal Legrand-Durant also no longer knows where to turn. At his place too, the shelves have been robbed by patients with fragile health, but also by Chinese tourists passing through. "In Beijing, there is a shortage, so before going back, they take their precaution" slips the boss. He just ordered 2000 FFP2, "the top of the antivirus mask", he says. The boss hopes for fast delivery, except that his supplier did not hide from him that it was likely to be complex: "The wholesalers have received a note from the regional health agency asking them to supply hospitals as a priority," explains -t it.
A man of Asian origin, with a sporty look, parka and scarf around his neck enters. Michel wants… 100 masks! If he had stayed in Paris, this Frenchman would never have thought of buying masks: "here, there is no reason to panic, everything is clean, under control and then the patients are fine" he smiles . Only here, next Monday, Michel flies to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, with family. "We leave at 6," he explains, "and since we are making a stopover in Hong Kong, this worries us a little. From Roissy, we will put them on, we will change them every 4 hours because, beyond, they no longer filter anything, ”he says.
"We haven't yet found a better way to protect ourselves"
Is it really certain that it will be effective? According to Agnès Buzyn, the Minister of Health, wearing a surgical mask in blue or white fabric in the street, is perfectly useless, except to want to limit the hexagonal flu which is very active. "In Asia, in any case, we haven't yet found a better way to protect ourselves," he smiles, before disappearing.
Masked Chinese, with colds, Stéphanie, see them parading every day in this large parapharmacy area in the 15th where she works. Logical, the place is referenced as being a “good address, nice and inexpensive” in tourist guides for Asian customers. "This case of the Chinese virus is a bit stressful," says this slender brunette. We try not to get too close to coughing customers, we rush to the hydroalcoholic gel shop as soon as we touch a box, ”confides this slender brunette. She tried to discuss with her management the issue of wearing a mask for staff. "But they don't want it, it would be too anxiety-provoking for customers!" "