Doctor Agnès Ricard-Hibon is president of the French Society of Emergency Medicine. She is also head of anesthesia-resuscitation department at the Beaumont-sur-Oise hospital (Val-d'Oise). For this experienced practitioner, the situation in the Paris region facing the epidemic due to the coronavirus is under control. However, it calls for vigilance.
What is the situation in Ile-de-France?
AGNÈS RICARD-HIBON. Covid-19 severe cases are increasing. This is already causing some difficulties in finding places for hospitalization. However, the situation is not critical as in the Grand-Est. We still have resuscitation capacities, whether in the hospitals of the Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) or elsewhere. But undoubtedly, this is tightening and interregional mutual assistance is already being organized.
How does this translate?
For example on Tuesday, we transferred patients from the Paris region from Covid-19 to the hospital in Rouen (Seine-Maritime). We could contact other regions if necessary. Perhaps the Center - Loire Valley. This has already happened in the context of other epidemics.
Ile-de-France, with its 11 million inhabitants, could it still have trouble coping?
You have to keep it right. Ile-de-France has a significant number of hospitals, including related to its population. If necessary, as I told you, we know that we can also call on other less affected regions. So there is no reason to be overly concerned.
Which departments are affected?
The situation is quite variable. But there are many activities related to the coronavirus in the hospitals of Yvelines and Val-d'Oise. In Paris and in the outer suburbs, it is also very sustained.
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What is the message you want to send to the population?
The most important thing is to respect containment to minimize the risk of catching the disease or of transmitting it to others. This protects hospitals, and allows us to deal with the most serious cases at best. Healthcare workers are extremely mobilized and do a wonderful job, but they need to be supported even more. This is how we are going to get there.
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