The week promises to be very cold in France with, in some places, negative temperatures. Homeless people are the most at risk. 2 deaths were declared on Monday.
Last Sunday, two homeless men were found dead of hypothermia, shortly after the arrival of the cold snap that has now invaded the country. The first died in Douai (North). He was 29 years old. The emergency services found him in the street, at the entrance of a high school in the city uninaminated and in a deep state of hypothermia. They could not do anything. The second was a 50-year-old Parisian, found in the 12th arrondissement. The man suffered a heart attack while receiving first aid from the rescue team. He died a few hours later. According to an AFP source, neither of the two men had contacted the 115, while the plans “Extreme Cold”, which include among other accommodation centers for the homeless, were triggered in the two cities where the deaths have occurred.
31,000 children sleep in the streets
In France, more than 70% of the 1,500 calls made every day to 115 (SAMU) mention the situation of homeless people every year in France. Worse still, since 2001, the number of homeless people in France has increased by 44% and now stands at 81,000. Among them, there are 31,000 children. An incomplete figure since it does not include people who do not go to accommodation or catering services or those who live in municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants.
Most vulnerable infants and seniors
In addition to hypothermia, drops in temperature can also be the cause of frostbite and worsening cardiovascular risks. For respiratory disorders in particular, dry cold promotes asthma attacks, while damp cold induces more bronchopulmonary infections.
Important precision, we often speak of very cold when the temperature is below 0 degrees. But in reality, “extreme cold” is only a pure concept since it depends above all on the way in which each individual feels the cold. As such, an infant or an elderly person is less able to resist the cold. People with fragile health, such as patients suffering from chronic cardiovascular and respiratory pathologies or diabetes, must also be vigilant in periods of extreme cold.
Stay warm as much as possible
For these people, it is therefore recommended to protect themselves effectively and in time. The “Extreme Cold” plans notably remind you of the main actions to adopt in order not to suffer too much from the cold. Among them, go out with warm clothes and cover the ends: gloves, hat, socks. In addition, you must heat your home while ventilating it once a day. And at work, it is necessary to equip oneself with weatherproof clothing, especially if it is an outdoor job. Finally, for the elderly and children, it is recommended to leave their home as little as possible, ideally kept at a heat of 19 ° and to eat well, especially at breakfast, just like people with diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.
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