Coronavirus: what you need to know this Monday, March 30

Good evening,

Today, on this 14th day of confinement, France has surpassed the 3000 death mark for hospitalized patients. A dozen serious cases of heart problems have been reported in patients who have taken chloroquine for self-medication. For his part, Emmanuel Macron struggles to calm the opposition despite his repeated calls for union. The situation is worsening in the United States, hit hard by the epidemic.

Good reading,

Roland Gauron, journalist at Le Figaro

1. Where is the epidemic?

The 3000 hospital death bar has been surpassed. According to a latest report released Monday evening by the government, the disease has claimed 418 victims in the past 24 hours. This is the largest increase in number on a day since the start of the epidemic.

History of the epidemic in the 50 most affected countries. Marie Coussin and Nicolas Mondon for Fig Data

The Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon reports 5107 patients hospitalized in intensive care, an increase of 475 cases compared to Sunday evening. " It is the daily number of entries in intensive care which is the most important " to follow the evolution of the epidemic, explained the professor.

Read also: Follow the evolution of the epidemic, department by department

2. What happened today

The United States struck in the heart. Failing to react quickly enough, Donald Trump's America has become the country with the most infected people. In New York, a military hospital ship docked Monday to relieve the city's hospitals. Americans are faced with a dilemma: choosing between their health and their wallet. "The potential consequences of health inequalities have never been more obvious than they are today," decrypts journalist Armelle Vincent from Los Angeles.

Read also: Pierre Lellouche: "The pandemic will accelerate the rise of China"

Macron on all fronts. "The crisis has become more complex and has opened up new theaters of operation," observes a relative of the president interviewed by Le Figaro . Already on all fronts, Emmanuel Macron finds himself grappling with an opposition that does not intend to disarm. His call for unity, launched last week from Mulhouse, went unheeded. Faced with controversy, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has regained his vocation as a shield for the President of the Republic and will meet with the party leaders on Thursday. " Emmanuel Macron plays on the compassionate register, Edouard Philippe knows how to be operational, " analyzes Guillaume Tabard.

The risk of going into intensive care and death goes from 5% to 12% for smokers compared to non-smokers

The advice of a submariner . Interviewed by Le Figaro , Captain Nicolas Lambropoulos talks about his professional confinement experience: “ The first days pass fairly quickly. There is the excitement of departure and novelty. But after 15 days, there is a slowdown in time. The pulmonologist Jean-Philippe Santoni warns him of an addiction that is difficult to get rid of during this period of confinement: smoking. "The risk of going into intensive care and death goes from 5% to 12% for smokers compared to non-smokers," warns the doctor citing another study.

Hydroxychloroquine (here, a box of Plaquenil, its trade name) has long been used in autoimmune diseases and lucitis. Stéphane Mahe / Reuters

The dangers of self-medication. Health authorities are alerting to the dangers of chloroquine in self-medication. A dozen serious cases of heart problems have been reported in patients who have taken the product without medical monitoring. Damien Mascret, from the Sciences department, presents the three scenarios of a Covid-19 infection, based on a French study published in the scientific journal The Lancet. "These three scenarios obviously only concern symptomatic people and leave aside the submerged part of the pandemic iceberg , " nonetheless relativizes the journalist.

Read also: Soap, an anti-virus weapon

3. Listen, revise, shave?

Revise. The abundant activity of the Palace of Versailles, deserted by tourists, has moved on social networks and its website. Until April 4, the domain invites high school students to revise their bac. "One page," The bac with Versailles "will develop six themes related to Versailles and the school program: French Revolution, Consulate and First Empire, Restoration, July monarchy, 2nd and 3rd Republic, without forgetting the two wars" , announces Culture journalist Claire Bommelaer.

Read also: At the theater tonight ... The Comédie-Française, the Bouffes du Nord, the Tightrope walk at your home

Listen. "How about we go on a long trip?" An ascent. That of an Everest: the 32 piano sonatas of Beethoven in this year of the 250th anniversary of his birth , suggests Christian Merlin. In this good ten hours of music, the composer invites us to a musical and human journey that we measure even better when we can immerse ourselves in it over a tight period of time. ” The music critic advises to listen to them in chronological order. "Prefer an integral recorded by a single pianist," he also advocates.

For patients, the beard is annoying because it harbors the virus

To shave ? Unhygienic, the hair can be a risk. Emergency physician Patrick Pelloux advised bearded men to shave. "For patients, the beard is annoying because it harbors the virus" , confirms to Le Figaro a specialist in infectious diseases. The recommendation primarily concerns patients and caregivers. If it annoys some hair aficionados, others on the contrary take the opportunity to try new aesthetic experiences, relates the journalist Marie-Gabrielle Graffin.

Read also: Tips for maintaining your wardrobe

To cook. The Italian-Argentinian Mauro Colagreco opted for a lemon meringue pie to better comfort you. "I discovered the real French lemon tart when I landed in Menton, fourteen years ago, to open the Mirazur," says the chef . We are right in the middle of its lemon season (February to April), a magnificent product. ” With a personal touch: "I only cover half of the meringue pie, in a nod to the debate that animates purists (with or without?)."

4. Picture of the day

Moscow entered its first day of indefinite confinement on Monday and several other Russian regions have announced that it will follow. Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

Read also: Faced with the coronavirus, Russia in turn snaps

5. Containment, instructions for use

Despite the containment measures, it is possible to leave your home in several cases:

• Go to your place of work, if teleworking is impossible.
• Do your shopping in "authorized local shops".
• Go to the doctor or pharmacy.
• Travel to babysit or care for "vulnerable" people.
• Make brief trips, one hour maximum and within a radius of one kilometer, related to individual physical exercise.
• Go to judicial or administrative summons.
• Participate in missions of general interest at the request of the administrative authority.

Read also: Coronavirus: what is allowed and what is prohibited during confinement

In the event of an inspection, you must present a certificate to the police. It can be downloaded here or be handwritten. The document must be completed at each outing to justify the reason. Violators are liable to a fixed fine of 135 euros, or even 1500 euros in the event of a repeat offense.

6. The reflexes to adopt

A few simple steps can limit the spread of the virus. Here they are :

• Wash your hands every hour.
• Cough or sneeze into the crease of his elbow.
• Use disposable tissues.
• Avoid kissing or shaking hands.
• Wear a mask when you are sick.
• Limit your movements as much as possible.

Covid-19 is spread by saliva through close contact with an infected person, especially when the person coughs or sneezes. The virus also remains viable for a few hours on different surfaces.

Read also: Coronavirus: highly contagious patients in the first days of infection

The disease manifests itself in several symptoms. In 9 out of 10 cases, this results in a fever below 39 ° C. According to the World Health Organization, this fever is most often accompanied by a state of fatigue , signs of shortness of breath and a dry cough .

7. What to do in case of symptoms?

The most important thing is not to go immediately to a general practitioner or to the emergency room to avoid infecting more people. Wearing a mask is highly recommended. For the rest, the recommendations of the Ministry of Health differ from case to case.

Stay home if you have few or no symptoms , taking care not to infect your loved ones. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. Possibly plan a follow-up teleconsultation with your doctor.

If you feel difficulty breathing , with a feeling of suffocation, after having felt proud and coughing for several days, call 15. Centers 15 being overwhelmed, rhinitis and fever or cough well tolerated should not make the subject of an appeal.

For any other question - there are probably many - do not hesitate to make a detour by this article.