In France, 60% of hospitalized patients still experience symptoms six months after contamination.
Tens of thousands of patients affected by the "
long Covid
", this trailing form of respiratory infection which ruins the lives of many of them.
A real "
epidemic
" in its own right, according to Professor Gilbert Deray.
Asked about LCI on Tuesday, July 26, the head of the nephrology service at Pitié-Salpêtrière deplored that France was "
far behind
" on the subject.
Read also: The recognition of the long pediatric Covid, an obstacle course
Fatigue, loss of memory and intelligence quotient, but also loss of smell and taste ... The effects noticeable several months after contamination, "
very
disabling
" according to the doctor, and are no longer a mystery. Testimonies are pouring in, while according to the latest data, young people themselves are facing it. So that "
we
in
ad 15 million in the United States, 4 to 5 million in Great Britain
," it is a "
national emergency
," the doctor said. "
We need a long national Covid plan, like a cancer plan
," he chanted.
In France, have the health authorities measured the challenge?
At the end of April, President Macron had made a trip to the Foch hospital in Suresnes, one of the first to set up coordinated care between several services (pulmonology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, ENT) for Covid patients long.
The meeting had not yet given rise to any particular announcement.
"Sympathetic listening"
Contacted by us, the health authorities reject the ball. The High Authority of Health (HAS), already questioned in June by an association of Covid long
After D20
on the ignorance of this disease by the medical profession, refers to a series of questions and answers drawn up in February 2021. The body recommends it. some general ideas on diagnosis and treatment in adults for practitioners, including “
sympathetic listening
” and “
psychological support
”. But this only “
in the absence of signs of seriousness requiring specialized care of 2nd or 3rd resort
”. For the implementation of an action plan and the establishment of structures, the HAS specifies in
Figaro
that it is the prerogatives of the executive.
Read also: Can the vaccine relieve the symptoms of long Covid?
For its part, the Ministry of Health relies mainly on information and guidance for doctors and caregivers on the theme of long Covid.
However, the government affirms that “
post-Covid coordination cells
” are in the
pipeline
to be deployed in all territories, with “
the dual mission of relaying information to health professionals and patients, and of
facilitating the organization routes and coordination of interventions
”.
On the practical side, it is the regional health agencies (ARS) that is responsible for identifying existing healthcare offers in the liberal sector, and "
making them readable
", further specifies the ministry. What some ARS have already started to apply with "
calls for expressions of interest
»In Brittany, Normandy or even in PACA.
In the Paris region, several hospitals have set up dedicated multidisciplinary consultations, such as the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris or the Bicêtre hospital in Val-de-Marne.
According to Le Parisien, already 24 follow-up and rehabilitation care centers (SSR) have said they are ready to welcome these extraordinary patients in Île-de-France, including Eaubonne in Val-d'Oise or Beauvais hospital. in the Oise.
In this region, the agency affirmed to organize the follow-up of the Ile-de-France residents "
confronted with disabling symptoms (...) beyond four weeks after the onset of the disease
".
A massive plan in Britain
This delay in the centralization of efforts, Emmanuel Rusch, president of the Covid-19 Control and Liaison Committee, explains it by insufficient data. "
The clinical pictures are very diverse, and the follow-up is low,
" said the epidemiologist from Tours. Across the Channel, Great Britain ensured very early monitoring of the lasting symptoms of the disease. At the end of June, a study carried out by the British government revealed that 2 million British patients were affected by symptoms beyond 12 weeks. On July 18, the government thus formalized a massive plan to deal with the long Covid: the launch of 15 studies on the effects of the disease, to the tune of 23 million euros.
This funding should complement the some 53 million euros already invested to support innovative projects, according to Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock. A budget which has notably made it possible to install 89 clinics specializing in the treatment of long-term Covid patients, among which 15 are specialized in pediatrics.