While the government plans to make it compulsory to wear a mask in the North, bordering Belgium, which is experiencing a rebound in the epidemic, Wednesday July 29, four towns in Mayenne have taken the plunge after the appearance of new outbreaks. of contamination. “A necessary measure to overcome the indiscipline of people”, estimates Jean-Paul Stahl, infectiologist at the CHU of Grenoble.
- In Mayenne, gatherings of more than 10 people have been banned and wearing a mask has been made compulsory in the town centers of Laval, Mayenne, Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne and Évron.
- Wearing a mask is not necessary in the street, if it is not crowded, but this measure is intended to force people to wear it in enclosed spaces, believes infetiologist Jean-Paul Stahl.
- In addition to the mask, respecting social distancing and the confinement of infected people are the measures that will allow us to fight against the spread of the virus.
The epidemic rebound continues its breakthrough on the territory. “There is no second wave but a continuation of the epidemic”, estimated Olivier Véran, Minister of Health. The latter recommended wearing the mask outside, if “you’re on a crowded street and you’re not sure you can go the distance”. The government is considering making the mask compulsory in the North, bordering Belgium, where the epidemic is rebounding, according to information fromEuropean 1. In France, it is Mayenne which is facing an intensification of the epidemic with 15 identified outbreaks, according to the director of the Pays-de-Loire Regional Health Agency (ARS), Jean-Jacques Coiplet, during a press videoconference. In response, Prefect Jean-Francis Treffel called for “vigilance” and tightened the barrier measures by prohibiting “gatherings of more than 10 people”. In addition, there is the obligation to wear a mask in the city center of four municipalities in the department: Laval, Mayenne, Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne and Évron.
#COVID19 |@Prefect53 takes new measures to protect the inhabitants.
➡️Wearing #mask is now compulsory in the public space, even open, in the city center of @chateau_gontier, @VilledEvron, @Laval_la_Ville and Mayenne
More information ????https://t.co/qeJKONK803 pic.twitter.com/PpFacUfeaK– Prefect of Mayenne (@Prefet53) July 27, 2020
The question of wearing a mask, a question of common sense
Wearing a mask in the streets is not necessary if they are not crowded with people. Its mandatory implementation in the city centers of four municipalities in Mayenne reflects our “indiscipline“Faced with the virus, advances Jean-Paul Stahl, infectiologist at the Grenoble University Hospital, interviewed by Why doctor. “If people don’t understand that in enclosed spaces there is a high risk of infection, we have to find a way to make them understand. This measure strikes me as more psychological than anything else. By making the mask compulsory in the street, people will understand that it must be put on in closed spaces”, he adds. Wearing a mask in the street has not yet been extended to the rest of the department. A measure that Jean-Paul Stahl does not consider necessary since there is “places where the virus circulates so little that it would be absurd. These measures must be reserved for places where traffic is heavy, whether in municipalities or small regions..”
To best protect yourself from the virus, the best measure remains common sense. “For there to be transmission between two people, they must meetrecalls the infectiologist. In a street that I describe as normal, so where there is no crowd, we are not close to each other and if there is rapprochement, it only lasts a very short time, so the risk of contamination almost does not exist.” The latter then believes that the best remedy to fight against the bad spread of the virus is the use of common sense. “If you go to the market and there are a lot of people, then it is better to wear the mask. If you walk around town and there are not many people, it is not necessary. Between the two, there is a gray area where as a precautionary principle, if there is any doubt, it is better to wear the mask”, he continues.
Social distancing and containment of infected people
To fight against the spread of the virus, the other main measure to be respected is social distancing. “It’s the best maskconfirms the infectiologist. It is best to respect a distance of 1.5 meters with your neighbour, whatever the circumstances..” Then, we must respect the confinement for infected people. “In hospitals, we are used to isolating contagious people”, he shares. For the moment, greater confinements are not in the news. For containment to be extended to cities, departments or even regions, it would be necessary “a greater rise in cases and a significant increase in serious hospitalized cases”, says Jean-Paul Stahl.
While waiting for a future vaccine, the best response is to follow the instructions to limit the spread of the epidemic as much as possible. “The disease is installed so we will have to live with itresolves the infectiologist. What means that there will be drastic and restrictive measures is people’s lack of discipline. If they don’t accept a small constraint now, they will have a big constraint in the future..”
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