The Minister of Health, Yannick Neuder, recommends wearing a mask in confined places as well as the application of other barrier gestures to curb the flu epidemic and avoid saturation of hospitals.
- Yannick Neuder, the Minister of Health, recalled the importance of barrier gestures and wearing a mask to curb the flu epidemic.
- Wearing a mask is recommended in confined places, such as transport or during meetings.
- He also put forward the idea of compulsory flu vaccination to avoid saturation of hospitals, while 87 establishments have already activated the white plan.
“I am not telling you that we are relaunching the wearing of masks in France for everyone, but in confined places, explained Yannick Neuder, Minister of Health, during a trip this Friday, January 10 to the Cochin hospital, in Paris, whose comments were reported by Le Figaro. I am thinking in particular of public transport or when there are several of us in a meeting.”
Apply barrier gestures to curb the flu epidemic
This recommendation was made to deal with the flu epidemic. In the last newsletter of Public Health France, published this Wednesday, January 8, all French regions as well as Martinique and Guadeloupe were at the maximum alert level for the flu. Guyana and Mayotte were at pre-epidemic level.
“We are in an epidemic situation which is significant, said Yannick Neuder. Our role [est de] ensure that our healthcare system gets over the hump (…). During the Covid-19 period, we had much less gastroenteritis and flu. We simply need to remember the barrier gestures”, that is to say, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or with hydroalcoholic gel and sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
“And, above all, to be able to have a citizen gesture of protection towards the most vulnerable, insists Yannick Neuder. So if we feel that we have symptoms, if we feel that we are coughing, that we are scratching, that we are a little achy, that we have a little temperature, do not hesitate to put the mask back on”. Outdoors, no need to wear it. On the other hand, in confined places, the Minister of Health strongly recommends it.“All things that could improve the reception conditions for patients and relieve the burden on nursing staff: barrier gestures, and perhaps compulsory vaccination, should be considered, concluded the Minister of Health. There should be no taboo on the subject.“
Flu: the importance of vaccination to reduce risks
This Thursday, January 9, the Minister of Labor, Health, Solidarity and Families, Catherine Vautrin, invited “those who have not yet been vaccinated“to do it, at the microphone of CNews-Europe 1. “When we look at emergency room arrivals and in particular cases of complications, more than 70% of these are people who are not vaccinated and who are eligible people.“, she continued.
In France, many hospitals are having to deal with a massive influx of patients due, in particular, to the flu epidemic. Currently, 87 establishments have triggered the white plan. This system allows them, among other things, to cancel certain operations and recall staff on leave in order to increase the resources to manage the influx of patients.
