Since the start of the school year, fall illnesses such as the flu, gastroenteritis and colds have increased. Blame it on the relaxation of barrier gestures.
- The relaxation of barrier gestures leads to an increase in autumn illnesses such as the flu, gastroenteritis or even the common cold.
- Even vaccinated, it is essential to continue to respect all health measures to protect yourself from Covid-19 and other seasonal viruses.
During the winter of 2020, the barrier gestures linked to the Covid-19 crisis had led to a drop in the usual seasonal illnesses such as the flu or gastroenteritis. With the wearing of a mask, regular hand washing or even social distancing, these viruses circulated and contaminated less. But, in this start of the 2021 school year, many people have relaxed these habits, causing an increase in the flu, gastroenteritis or even colds.
A relaxation of barrier gestures already visible in 2020
According to a Datacovid-Ipsos survey, this trend towards the relaxation of barrier gestures was already observable last year. This study, carried out between May 26 and 31, 2020, among 5,000 French people over the age of 18, proved that a large part of the population respected barrier gestures less a few days before phase 2 of the deconfinement which began. June 2, 2020.
Only the use of hydroalcoholic gel and the wearing of the mask persist
In detail, only 61% of participants said they washed their hands several times a day, -3 points compared to wave 6, which corresponds to a previous survey carried out between May 12 and May 19, 2020, according to the same methodological protocol. : a sample of 5000 respondents. 79% of them said they did not shake hands or kiss, i.e. 7 points less (again compared to wave 6). 63% avoided gatherings such as public transport and parties, down 11 points.
A negative balance… But two barrier measures still seem to have progressed: the use of hydroalcoholic gel (33% of participants used it, i.e. two points more than during the previous survey) and the wearing of a mask (28 % of them, i.e. one point more).
Even vaccinated, we must continue to respect barrier gestures
This year, another factor had worried the doctors: the vaccine syndrome. Some practitioners observed a relaxation of respect for barrier gestures in their vaccinated patients. At the Garches hospital, in Ile-de-France, infectious disease specialist Benjamin Davido explained last May at Figaro that more and more first-timers were hospitalized following a Covid-19 infection. “They see their first dose as a totem, while all the first antibodies only appear after a fortnight and then gradually climb”. In other words, after a first injection, these patients relax their efforts, respect barrier gestures less, are therefore contaminated and, sometimes, hospitalized.
However, it is only after having benefited from two injections of the vaccine against Covid-19 that the risk of developing a serious form decreases… but it does not completely disappear! We must therefore continue to respect all health measures to protect ourselves from Covid-19 and seasonal viruses.
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