Coronavirus: what to know this Friday, May 22

Good evening,

Deconfinement, day 12. The Prime Minister formalized the holding of the second round of municipal elections on June 28. A resumption of democratic life rather welcome as the economy prepares to face the worst despite the government's stimulus plans. Abroad, the United Kingdom imposes a fortnight on travelers and the Spanish government is destabilized by a new controversy . In France, discordant voices are also heard on screening and the reliability of tests, while the persistence of certain symptoms in Covid-19 patients raises questions.

Good reading,

Camille Lestienne, journalist at Le Figaro

1. Where is the epidemic at?

For the first time since the start of the epidemic, the Directorate General of Health has not released the daily number of deaths due to coronavirus. " Mortality data will be updated on Monday May 25, " said the press release. A pause in the publication of data linked to the long weekend, according to Santé Publique France. The figure last night was 28. 215 dead since March 1. The number of people hospitalized is still decreasing with 17,944 patients and 263 new admissions recorded in 24 hours against 438 a week ago. Among them, 1701 patients with a severe form of Covid-19 are in intensive care. The balance remains negative with 44 Covid-19 patients less than yesterday.

History of the epidemic in the 80 most affected countries. By Marie Coussin and Nicolas Mondon for Fig Data

Since the start of the epidemic, 100,038 people have been hospitalized, including 17,671 in intensive care. 64,209 people returned home. The number of confirmed cases is 144,556 people.

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

2. What happened today

The second round of municipal elections should take place on June 28 . " Democratic life, too, must regain all of its rights, " said Edouard Philippe today. Alongside Christophe Castaner, he thus formalized the holding of the second round of municipal elections on Sunday, June 28, with wearing of the compulsory mask and facilitated proxies. A "reversible" calendar on the advice of the Scientific Council. “ At least a decision has been made, salutes our political columnist Guillaume Tabard. And no doubt that was the essential. Since there were no solutions without drawbacks, the worst would have been to allow a debate that had lasted far too long to flourish . ” An opinion shared by many within the political parties with the exception of the UDI or La France Insoumise which denounces by the voice of the deputy Éric Coquerel a " dangerous first ", "without the right to make a real campaign ".

Read also: Elections: 58 countries have chosen to postpone their polls because of the Covid-19

Difficult economic sectors . The Minister of Economy explained to Le Figaro the support measures and the challenges of his recovery plan planned for the start of the school year. " We have a strategic objective: the economic sovereignty of France " affirms Bruno Le Maire who pleads the " composure" necessary for the development of this real " transformation plan ". The urgency is great because the worst is before us according to the economists interviewed by Marie Visot. " With various state aid, companies have been anesthetized ," said the journalist. It was necessary for their survival but things will become more complicated the day the infusion is withdrawn. " Layoffs, bankruptcies, many sectors are suffering from the health crisis. Nissan, which, according to a Japanese press agency cited by Valérie Collet, " should formalize the elimination of 20,000 jobs worldwide by March 2023, or one fifth of its workforce ". The hotel industry, for its part, is slowly starting to recover, like this hotel in Sables-d'Olonne which took the risk of reopening on May 15.

Read also: A (new) world without tourists

The government of Sanchez spreads, in the eyes of all and by its own mistakes, the extent of its weakness.

Controversies in the United Kingdom and in Spain. It is decided, a "fortnight" will be imposed on domestic or foreign travelers entering British territory. Transport and tourism are " upwind against this quarantine", underlines our correspondent Arnaud de La Grange. The airline sector " already brought down by the crisis " is alarmed " by measures that will prolong the slump ". Especially since some European airlines are planning a partial resumption of flights in June. The atmosphere is also tense in Spain, where the renewal of the state of alert in exchange for a reform of labor law turns into a political mess. " The government of Sanchez spreads, in the eyes of all and by its own mistakes, the extent of its weakness ... on the eve of demonstrations against its action convened by the extreme right this Saturday " analyzes Mathieu de Taillac, correspondent in Madrid.

Read also: London wants to reduce its dependence on China

More questions about the coronavirus and testing. The fear of the second wave of the epidemic is not shared by all. Didier Raoult thus affirms that no country is confronted with it. It is not so simple, analyzes Cyrille Vanlerberghe, recalling the current examples of Singapore and Iran as well as the pandemic of influenza of Hong Kong of 1968. Many other questions still arise on the coronavirus. Studies are in fact launched on two phenomena observed in patients: the persistence of certain symptoms, such as extreme fatigue or loss of smell, for several months and, conversely, the resurgence of the disease in others . As for screening in France, it is still running in, explains the Science department. With overwhelmed analysis laboratories, PCR tests are often carried out too late while the reliability of serological tests, soon reimbursed for 23 of them, is still too often insufficient.

Also read: PCR, LAMP, Elisa, TDR… how to see clearly between the different types of tests

3. Dialog, sail, roll ...

Dialog with your elders. " When you are young, you imagine that the old are all the same. When in fact, they had a life of their own ... ” The reflection of this young woman, collected by Madeleine Meteyer, can lend a smile, or shudder, but conceals good news. The confinement will have brought generations together. Between the more frequent calls to the grandparents, the confined family life, the attention given to the elderly neighbor, the young people reconnected with the "old". A general benevolence to qualify according to the psychogérontologist Jérôme Pellissier. “ Confinement, he admits , has revealed a real concern of people for the most fragile. But we also noted an exacerbation of paternalism: we spoke in place of the old people, we thought in their place . ”

Read also: This summer, the return of the holidays in the family home

Sail on the water. To have a successful holiday in France, there is no shortage of ideas. Today, Alyette Debray Mauduy suggests crossing rivers, rivers and hexagonal canals aboard a barge, " the opportunity, at a cruising speed of 8 km / h, to suspend time to enjoy the landscapes and the heritage. »Canal du Midi, Bourgogne, Loiret… there are many options. His advice? Take bikes on board to get around at each stopover.

Also read: Lake and bike, hike and forest ride ... What to do this weekend in your area?

Roll electric. Not all city dwellers succumb to the charm of cycling. While the French fear the contagion of Covid-19 in public transport, the automobile is experiencing renewed interest. But, on the path to the "greening" of our lives, all is not lost because the electric models, boosted by government aid, could finally take off. For certain "addicts" of the engine, it is even the power at start-up that would prevail. Be careful, however, warns our automotive specialist Sylvain Reisser, " the bill remains salty for a car that can only be the second, even the third of the household ."

Today, Gérald Passedat talks to us about pelamide. It looks like the title of a Racine tragedy, we are waiting for the Alexandrians; it is a skipjack with striped back, we will have carpaccio.

Taste the pelamide. Gérald Passédat, triple starred chef from Petit-Nice in Marseille, uses " at least 65 species " of fish depending on the time of year. Among them, the little known pelamide. " It looks like the title of a Racine tragedy, we're waiting for the Alexandrians ", but it's " a skipjack with striped backs ", a cousin of the bluefin tuna tells us our food critic Stéphane Durand-Souffland. “ The pelamide has a taste below that of the tuna, specifies Passédat, but with a buttery, subtle side, without the fat of the tuna. Its flesh is pink. It is eaten raw or cooked, ultra-fresh or matured, can be smoked or dried, depending on the use you want to make of it. Here it is served in carpaccio.

To read also: Take-away dishes from stars: what remains of “gastronomic” in their menus?

4. Photo of the day

A minute of silence for the victims of Covid-19, at the opening of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the Chinese parliament. LEO RAMIREZ / AFP

5. Deconfinement, instructions for use

The deconfinement does not mark the return to the life of before. It is done gradually and differentiated according to the red or green areas. Here are some rules to remember.

• The movements are allowed a limit of 100 km around the home. Beyond that, a certificate - available here - is required to justify a compelling, family or professional reason. The borders are closed until June 15.
• In public transport , the mask is compulsory and its absence liable to a fine of 135 euros. In Île-de-France, an employer certificate is required during peak hours. It can be downloaded here.
• The gatherings are limited to 10 people in the public space.
• Parks and gardens are once again open in green areas only . Forests, on the other hand, are accessible everywhere. The beaches are in principle closed unless the prefect decides otherwise.
• The practice of individual sport is again authorized outdoors, respecting the limit of 10 participants.
• Places of worship are open and religious ceremonies should be able to resume before the end of the month.

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 with 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 fatigue , signs of shortness of breath and a dry cough .

7. What to do in case of symptoms?

The most important thing now is to get tested. According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, you should, if you have symptoms, stay at home and contact your doctor who will order a test. While waiting for the result, you must isolate yourself, wear a mask and list the people you may have contaminated.

Read also: From the isolation test to the tracing of contact cases, the patient's journey from Covid

If the test is positive, the Primary Health Insurance Fund will contact those likely to be infected. You must then remain isolated for at least 8 days, taking care not to contaminate your loved ones. Watch your health. In case of fever, take duparacetamol. Possibly plan a follow-up teleconsultation with your doctor.

If you feel difficulty breathing , call 15.

If the test is negative, contact your doctor and follow their instructions.

Have a nice week end.