A decree will soon be published to recognize the coronavirus as an occupational disease. But each infected person will not necessarily be able to benefit from this recognition: strict rules will be imposed.
- • All members of the nursing staff who are victims of a serious form of the virus resulting in oxygen therapy will be compensated
- All members of the nursing staff who are victims of a serious form of the virus resulting in oxygen therapy will be compensated.
- Non-caregivers who have developed a mild or severe form will have to go before a committee of experts who will assess whether the disease is indeed linked to their work.
The measure was announced last spring by Olivier Véran and will come into force soon. The coronavirus will be recognized as an occupational disease, giving the right to compensation for the persons concerned in the event of sequelae or death. Only serious cases will be taken into account and not all simply positive people will be eligible.
Two distinct regimes
The recognition of Covid-19 as an occupational disease will be automatic for infected caregivers who have developed a severe form of the disease resulting in a need for oxygen supply. This concerns both those who work in hospitals and those who work with vulnerable people, at home or in nursing homes. This recognition will enable them to benefit from compensation in the event of temporary or permanent incapacity. If a person dies, the heirs will receive a pension.
Several thousand files submitted
For non-caregivers who have developed a severe form of the virus or caregivers who have not contracted a severe form, another regime will apply. For non-caregivers, a national committee of independent experts will decide on their situation. This committee, says recognition of occupational disease, will be made up of a medical adviser from the Health Insurance Fund and a hospital practitioner or an occupational physician, said the Ministry of Health. Their objective will be to see if there is indeed a link between the disease and work and they will be able to go so far as to carry out an investigation in the workplace of the patient. For nursing staff: a medical adviser from the health insurance fund will define whether their sequelae do indeed present a certain form of seriousness, before being able to present their case to the committee.
Once the coronavirus is recognized as an occupational disease, a medical adviser will be responsible for setting the amount of compensation. A platform dedicated to filing applications was already opened by the National Health Insurance Fund a few weeks ago. Several thousand people have already submitted their application.
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