Head of infectious diseases at Saint-Antoine hospital in Paris (12th century), Karine Lacombe, figure in this crisis that we have been going through for a year, knows that the next few weeks will be difficult.
But containment finally gives a perspective.
The Prime Minister has just announced the confinement of 16 departments including those of Ile-de-France.
what's your reaction?
KARINE LACOMBE.
It was the right decision to take, it is in line with the health threat.
However, the government did not choose to make a hard containment, it made a compromise between the need to control the epidemic and social acceptance.
Travel is not limited in time, the curfew is postponed to 7 p.m.
This measure will therefore mainly affect convivial gatherings.
I hope it will work.
VIDEO. Reconfinement: what to remember from Castex announcements
How will the hospital hold on knowing that there are currently as many patients in intensive care as during the peak of the second wave in November?
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We have not experienced such a situation since the first wave.
The increase in the number of patients is very important and we are only at the beginning.
We will continue to deprogram, to open beds, to face the time that the curve bends.
It will be difficult, but now we have a horizon!
Its very important.
Everyone is exhausted, many caregivers are on sick leave.
We therefore appeal to the interim but, at the last moment, the interim does not come.
Consequently, the nursing staff must work overtime.
Most of my time, I spend supporting my teams more than taking care of the sick.
What do you tell them?
I listen to them a lot and I also tell them that we are a team, that we face the disease together and that we do a great job, that our greatest pride is to see patients leave our service on their two legs.
I tell them that we will get out of this, we will see the end of the tunnel but there are still a few difficult weeks.
Every day, we fight minute by minute for vaccination, against Covid and fake news.
It is said that the pandemic has changed its face.
In what?
Absolutely.
It really is a new epidemic.
We see a lot less elderly people thanks to vaccination but more young people and women.
They are between 30 and 60 years old and most of the risk factors are overweight, diabetes, hypertension.
This is the consequence of the English variant, which is much more contagious and gives longer symptoms.
The duration of hospitalization has therefore lengthened.
Many families seem to refuse to allow a sick relative to be evacuated to other regions.
Do you also make this observation?
Of course, this is both problematic and understandable.
During the first wave, intensive care visits were prohibited, it ultimately did not change much whether a loved one was far or near his family.
This is no longer the case today.
I also think that individualism is more pronounced than a year ago.
People say to themselves,
why we should make an effort, after all, they just have to find other solutions
.
It is also a consequence of the fed up.
The vaccination with AstraZeneca will be able to start again.
Is this good news?
Yes, excellent!
Moreover, we still do not understand why she was stopped for 48 hours.
The signals should have prompted us to step up vigilance rather than suspend the campaign.
New figures have just fallen and show that thanks to the vaccine, the number of contaminations drops among caregivers and absenteeism, too.
It is a relief.