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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
On December 19, the Health Risk Monitoring and Anticipation Committee issued new recommendations in the face of the Covid, flu and bronchiolitis epidemics. Among them, the obligation to wear a mask requested by certain associations, is not established.
While France is facing a triple epidemic of Sars-CoV-2, influenza, and always bronchiolitis, the Health Risk Monitoring and Anticipation Committee (Covars), successor to the Scientific Council issued new recommendations on Monday December 19. As the holidays approach, “sources of intergenerational mixing”, according to the document. The high point is put on the barrier gestures to “amplify as quickly as possible” and vaccination. The obligation to wear a mask in public and enclosed places, on the other hand, is not declared.
Arguments in favor of the mask, but no obligation
To be more precise, the Covars does not decide for or against the obligation to wear a mask. Faced with the very low level of wearing a mask in public transport and other closed places, it lists the arguments in favor of its use and nevertheless recommends “strengthen the accessibility / free availability of masks in all places where they are needed”from “to limit the cost and ensure its distribution to all persons wishing to use it”. However, the committee also refers to the perception of the limitation of individual freedoms in the arguments against its obligation.
Accentuate personal responsibility and hygiene reflexes
The opinion of Covars makes sense according to Dr. Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo
“Once again, it is a question of appealing to people’s responsibility and common sense: we can no longer impose the mask, when all the other European countries are also in ‘de-escalation’. On the other hand, when you are sick, you stay at home or wear a mask, it is a reflex to acquire, covid or not, to protect others”.
New reflexes to adopt, far from psychosis, which allow us to live together and protect ourselves without forgetting the most fragile:
“Imposing the mask on everyone does not make sense. But adopting proportionate measures also means discussing with your doctor if you think you are fragile (age or kidney failure, for example, do not make you fragile targets for all that) to consider vaccination or wearing of an FFP2 mask when you actually suffer from an immune deficiency.”
Barrier gestures and vaccination to be emphasized
If it does not decide on the wearing of the mask, the Covars calls, on the other hand, to intensify the barrier gestures and the vaccination against the Covid and the flu in its strategy, thanks to “an incentive and transparent communication intended for the general population”, and “strengthening of communication intended for caregivers on the benefits and limits of booster shots”.
According to the latest figures, in fact, the fall anti-Covid vaccination is lagging behind, reflecting a population that no longer sees the benefits of repeated boosters. During the holiday season, Covars also suggests “strengthened communication” on the self-tests that “works just as well” against the new dominant member of the Omicron “family”, BQ1.1, according to the committee, advising to use it “closer to the family event”.