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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
Since March 14, all French people have been able to circulate freely again, without a compulsory vaccination pass and without a mask imposed in closed places. Will this newfound freedom be synonymous with an increase in cases of contamination with the virus, as has already been the case for a few days? For Dr. Kierzek, do not panic.
According to his schedule for lifting health restrictions, the government authorized this Monday, March 14 the end of the wearing of the compulsory mask in closed places for all and the lifting of the vaccination pass in places of leisure. But these relaxations worry more than one, who will continue to wear the mask indoors in view of their fragile state of health and the counter of the number of cases of contamination which is rising again.
Rise in cases in England and Hong Kong
Since February 24, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lifted the country’s last restrictions, arguing that the British people must now “learn to live with the virus“. Results: fewer and fewer people are being tested daily, but on the other hand, we can observe a 16% increase in hospitalizations over a week.
In Hong Kong, the country is gradually admitting that the “zero Covid” strategy is not working. Its leaders thought they could stop the epidemic by drastic border control measures but realize the failure of their strategy. While the peak of the fifth wave of Covid has not yet been reached there, the island recorded a record contamination on Sunday with more than 30,000 new cases and 190 deaths. And in China, the resurgence of virus cases has prompted the country to reconfine part of its population.
For Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, “China’s or Hong Kong’s zero Covid strategy are mistakes. They thought they could stop the virus but now see that this is not the case and that it is not possible. They do not want to back down, but their health strategy is in error and does not allow the development of a collective natural immunity by letting the virus circulate at a minimum..
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Should we fear a rebound in the epidemic in France?
Will the lifting of the wearing of the mask indoors and the suspension of the vaccination pass accelerate the resumption of the epidemic? “Be careful not to scare yourself unnecessarily” again repeats Dr. Gérald Kierzek. “Obviously the virus will evolve in waves and that’s normal. Cases of contamination are increasing yes, so what? The situation should not be dramatized. And above all, do not start testing again and again at the slightest tremor in the number of cases! What is important are the hospitalized people, whom we must treat. For the rest, we are still on the Omicron virus and its BA.2 variant, which remain benign for many. So if we are sick, we put on a mask, we isolate ourselves and we treat ourselves and everything will be fine!” reassure the doctor.