“We shouldn't push Granny in the nettles” some seniors must have said to themselves upon discovering the last statement of Professor Rémi Salomon.
Asked about the organization of the end of year celebrations, the president of the Medical Commission of the AP-HP establishment in Paris said Tuesday on France Info that "
we can see grandpa and grandma, but we do not eat not with them, even at Christmas
”.
The professor then suggested to "
cut (r) the log in half
", so that "
grandpa and grandma eat in the kitchen and we in the dining room
".
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On social networks, the reactions of Internet users have been rife, all generations combined, pointing out in turn the ridiculousness of the qualifier to evoke seniors, or an intolerable intrusion of politics into the private sphere.
“
Everyone will appreciate
”, commented himself, ironically, the presenter Jean-Pierre Pernaut in his JT this Wednesday on TF1.
"
Stash the grandparents in the kitchen?"
Grotesque!
», Reacts Zohra Bitan, columnist of the program“ Grandes gueules ”on RMC, interviewed by
Le Figaro
.
"
Do I, because I'm over 60 and five grandchildren, fit into the 'grandma' category?
», She indignantly.
“
By wanting to interfere too much in people's lives, our leaders become ridiculous.
It's almost tragic to come to this.
We do not deny the existence of the Covid, but everyone is responsible for their health.
It's a personal matter
”.
"
It's horrible,
" reacts Yvonne, 72, in turn, who listened to Rémi Salomon's speech on France Info and imagined the scenario.
"
Especially since my husband having died a few years ago, I would find myself alone in the kitchen,
" she says, unconvinced by this prospect.
"
I have planned to spend Christmas with my 9 grandchildren in my house in La Baule, and we will be careful, that's all
".
Ditto for Michel, who thought he couldn't hear while listening to the radio that morning.
“
I was shocked, what an idea!
», He exclaims with a laugh.
“
At this price, I still prefer to stay at home
”.
Caution yes, but not at the expense of reunion
"
We are certainly not going to leave grandpa and grandma in the kitchen, but we will make sure to protect them
", declares for his part Thomas, father who, this year, will make the sacrifice of the big meeting between cousins to surround the grandparents in small groups.
For the party, everyone will be masked, and everyone will try to respect the distance meter as well as the barrier gestures.
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Between the danger of contagion and the risk of loneliness, the dilemma is particularly tough for the 48.6% of seniors over 80 living alone in France.
Nathalie de la Perraudière, president of the association “Ensemble 2 generations” in the Cher, says she is “
very worried
” for the elderly for whom she is responsible.
“
They had high expectations of the Christmas holidays, the prospect of seeing their loved ones was a strength to endure the long weeks of confinement,
” she explains.
One of the beneficiaries of the association, Jeanine, made the choice to spend Christmas alone, a question of "
responsibility
" for the resigned octogenarian.
"
For once, I'm not going to die!
», She plays down.
“
How do you think people were doing during the 1940 war?
They weren't complaining!
“Argues the octogenarian for whom the French are today“
spoiled children
”.
“
They only think about gifts and reunions, and they put others in danger.
The priority today is to block the road to the virus
”.
Read also: During the Covid-19, the resilience of senior residences
Jeanine will thus spend a perfectly suitable Christmas between mass on television, a pretty table and candles for a festive meal, and a session on Zoom with her grandchildren.
"
It will be very suitable
", she declares, however acknowledging her luck: "
I know that I am privileged, whereas many of my age are in nursing homes
".
For the latter, the possibility of seeing their loved ones at Christmas is still pending, while 1,539 clusters were under investigation there in mid-November according to Public Health France, or more than one in five nursing homes.