The director general of the Regional Health Agency provides an update on the situation of the coronavirus epidemic in Ile-de-France. Half of the people hospitalized in intensive care in the region are under the age of 60, he said.
What is the situation in Ile-de-France on March 16?
Aurélien Rousseau. The epidemic is accelerating. The virus is actively circulating in all departments of Ile-de-France, the second most affected region in France. 190 people are hospitalized in intensive care this Monday, they were fifty last Tuesday.
Who are these intensive care patients?
It's not just the elderly, half of them are under 60, there are young people of all ages, intubated, ventilated, who have a good chance of coping but who have an extremely heavy and mobilize caregivers.
Why did the situation change in Ile-de-France in so few days?
We are experiencing exactly what other countries have experienced, with an exponential acceleration when we cross a threshold. And that is why the main subject is to break the chain of contamination. The virus will not stop its progression, but we can slow it down. The race against the clock is accelerating to prepare hospitals, clinics, city doctors ... Individually, this does not require much thought: when we decide to go to an evening with friends, we endanger population. Staying at home protects the rest of the population. It's mechanical. Because the more the contamination accelerates, the more people are sick in intensive care. We were probably not clear enough to make ourselves understood.
Are the Ile-de-France residents who have gone green going to contaminate other regions?
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It is normal for people to seek protection. The best protection is barrier gestures (washing your hands very often, keeping your distance, avoiding contact, editor's note) and the first responsibility is to isolate yourself, to limit contact as much as possible. But it is also necessary to avoid traveling from an epidemic area to an area that is not yet, so as not to accelerate the circulation of the virus.
The ARS crisis unit has also been affected by the virus, how do you deal with defections?
Colleagues are affected by the Covid 19. We apply what is done for caregivers, we work with a mask on the face, we respect the safety distances, the offices have been spread out on the floors. Sunday morning, 55 people were present, no one was missing except the sick ... Reinforcements arrived this Monday morning, they come from the general inspectorate of social affairs, from the City of Paris ... The goal is to last. We're going to need endurance. It will take a long time.
When to call 15?
We are entering a crisis that will last a long time and it is absolutely necessary to preserve the Samu for emergency situations. If you have a fever and body aches, call your doctor, if it gets worse, obviously 15 is there to answer, but it should not be overloaded with other calls.
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