Since the epidemic was formalized in January, not a day has gone by without them thinking about it. While the Covid-19 has killed more than 2,000 people worldwide (out of more than 75,000 infected), some French people obviously have a hard time believing the daily reports from China or the recommendations of the French Ministry of Health.
In France, however, only twelve cases of infected people have been detected since January, and only one patient, aged 80, has died. As for the transmission of the virus, the authorities assure it: only "close contact with a sick person" is responsible. Reassuring? Not necessarily, for Soumia, Tia, Johann, Marina and Sarah. Contacted by Le Parisien, they tell us how the coronavirus has changed their daily lives and how they are trying to protect themselves from it.
Soumia, 52 years old: "In the house, we disinfect everything"
As a mother of three, Soumia considers it her duty to protect her family from contamination. This is true in normal times, but even more so since the start of the viral pneumonia epidemic. "In the house, we disinfect everything to the maximum with bleach," she says. “I clean the kitchen plan twice a day, we clean the toilets each time I use the disinfectant. I insist that everyone wash their hands several times a day, ”explains the mother, who lives with her family in the Paris region.
A vigilance that she also applies to work: “I clean the door handles and the switches with paper towels and bleach. I told my colleagues to wash their hands, but they are men, they are not very receptive, ”she laments. Children must take care when traveling. Soumia suggests that they avoid large gathering places. "It is certain that at the moment, I will not send them to Bercy in concert," she says.
However, she has not become paranoid, she says. "We are not in survivalist mode," defends Soumia. But as a mom, I can't do nothing. "
Tia: "My autoimmune disease makes me more fragile"
For Tia, being infected with the virus would be a double penalty: because of her autoimmune disease (her immune system suffers from a dysfunction), falling sick would, according to her, be "catastrophic". "I am worried because I am more fragile," explains Tia.
“At the start of the epidemic, I was suspicious of everything. I had a mask and hand gel. […] But over time, you get used to it, ”admits the Bordeaux mother, who specifies that she is especially afraid“ for her daughter ”.
But why this concern for the coronavirus and not the other epidemics which affect France, and which, at this stage, make many more deaths? "I'm vaccinated against the flu," says Tia. “Pneumonia is what scares me, because there is no vaccine. The coronavirus multiplies much faster, ”she says.
Johann, 32: "I have almost daily news monitoring"
The young Parisian business owner has planned almost everything: boxes of paracetamol in advance, an anti-pollution mask stylized for walking on the street ... and even his base if he had to leave the capital for a while, in case the virus would spread in France. “I plan to go to the countryside, time to see what is going on. I am lucky to have a family home away from the big cities. But when I say that, I look very very far, ”says Johann.
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In the meantime, the father remains vigilant on a daily basis. He no longer takes public transport ("I take self-service scooters with gloves and a cap under the helmet"), and adapts when he has to travel long distances. "For a weekend in Lyon, I took the car instead of the train," he adds, adding that "in normal times", he does not have "this kind of temperament". "We play a little to be afraid," he admits, laughing.
Johann also spends a lot of time monitoring the news related to the virus. "I am both classic media, but also social networks, where there are a lot of photos and videos from China," he explains. “I also have WhatsApp loops with a dozen friends, so that we can share news about China. Foreign press, scientific articles, tweets, they share a little of everything. "We also have knowledge on the spot, it allows us to verify information that comes from Twitter. "
Marina, 41 years old: "In Reunion, we lack information"
Member of a Facebook group who says she wants to inform the French about the Covid-19, Marina says she has started stocking up on food at home. "Pasta, cans ... Because I'm afraid it will fall on us overnight," she explains.
As with the other "panics" of the coronavirus, she took drastic hygiene measures. "I wash my hands every ten minutes, I no longer kiss to say hello to others, I take my temperature every day, and I spend my time at home," says the Reunionese. “I feel like a second-class citizen. I'm becoming paranoid, ”she saddens. "My biggest fear is that if this virus arrives in Reunion, we will quickly be made just a memory. "
No cases of Covid-19 have so far been detected on the island. But Marina is still concerned about the lack of information in the region. “None of our MPs are talking about it. Our prefect is invisible. […] In Reunion, no measures are taken. Entrances to our airport are free. "
Sarah, 31: "I am worried because I live near Carry-le-Rouet"
Like some residents of the Carry-le-Rouet region (Bouches-du-Rhône), where travelers repatriated from China have been confined, Sarah is worried. “I live right between Carry-le-Rouet and Aix, in Marignane. So, I prefer not to take risks and not go out, ”she tells us.
In addition to the hygiene rules that she imposes on her three young children, the mother says she is ready to go even further. “If things don't go well, I'm ready to buy food and seal up. When you see what's going on in China, that worries me, ”she says. It set a threshold of "20 cases in France" before taking action.
This anxiety, she said, comes mainly from the many images that reach her from China. “I see disinfectant trucks, seals on the doors, two hospitals that can be assembled in ten days, it's not trivial. A city has been quarantined anyway. "
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According to her, a part of her entourage shares these concerns: “My sister is worried, the mothers of the school too. My 9 year old child also asks me questions. But my brother is going to Thailand in a week. He kept going, ”says Sarah.
