First person tested positive for coronavirus Covid-19 in the Bouches-du-Rhône, confirmed the Regional Health Agency and the Prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône.
“This patient is currently being treated at the Institut Hospitalo Universitaire in Marseille (…) and her clinical condition is not serious,” said the ARS. A crisis unit has been activated. Investigations are now underway to identify all the people who have been in contact with this patient.
According to the testimony of a holiday maker, the hospitalized person was taken care of during a ski holiday in the Montgenèvre resort (Hautes-Alpes), on the Italian border, confirming information from La Provence.
“They refused to examine my son at the Montgenevre aid station, because there was a suspicion (…) The doctor said to me, do not say anything and go out”. According to the witness on the spot, three other cases would have been detected in the station: a hotel would be “placed in quarantine, and the ski lessons canceled”.
“Our job is to be ready”
TheIHU Mediterranean Infection de la Timone is the benchmark center in France for infectious diseases. Since the start of the Covid-19 Coronavirus crisis, the institute has performed more than 7,000 screenings. “We are able to carry out up to 1000 tests per day. Our job is to be ready,” said a spokesperson for the IHU.
In the ward, three floors of 25 beds each are ready to accommodate patients. The 3rd floor can be completely contained, with three modules of 7, 8 and 10 beds that can be placed under negative pressure. In this case, the air in the room cannot escape.
In the Maritime Alps, there are to date nine cases of coronavirus detected, including one 3 year old child. All were hospitalized. In France, the number of cases now stands at 193, with a new case in the Gard. Three people, carriers of the virus, died in France. Globally, the epidemic surpassed 3,100 deaths on Tuesday morning.
10 million masks stored for caregivers
Tuesday the Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced that the stocks of state masks have been distributed throughout the territory. A total of 10 million masks have been destocked. In Marseille, this Tuesday, 150,000 masks have already arrived. They will be distributed to 300 pharmacies in the Marseilles area.
These surgical masks are intended for healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, nursing homes, etc.), who will have to distribute them free of charge to patients whom they consider to be at risk. Another fifteen to twenty million will arrive “as the needs arise,” adds Olivier Véran.
Mortality, reassessed at the moment, is around 1 to 2%, higher than the flu but much lower than SARS, “said the minister.” We
we are not in an epidemic, we are facing an approaching epidemic threat and we are anticipating the situation, “he added.
What would stage 3 of the epidemic mean?
To deal with the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, the state launched stage 2 of the epidemic, according to a plan drawn up in 2011 following an influenza epidemic. This means that the virus is circulating on the territory and that it is a question of curbing the spread thanks to certain measures: closings of nurseries and schools, restrictions on visits to retirement homes, limitation of travel, cancellation of gatherings.
In the event of passage to stage 3 (out of 3), the virus would spread widely and drastic measures would be put in place, in particular with regard to movement restrictions. Health professionals and law enforcement officials would be called in for reinforcement. In addition, companies could resort to partial unemployment pending the return to normal health conditions.
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This coronavirus case of a woman who stayed in the ski resort of Montgenevre for some days is typical of the wooden tongue ordered to the French media by the prime minister Mr Édouard Philippe who dared to declare a few hours ago that “closing the borders (to prevent the virus’ crossing) was utterly useless”
Indeed the Montgenevre ski resort is all along the winter season open to skiers from France AND Italy, and peculiarly the northern Italy where the coronavirus has contaminated thousands of people since last week Therefore it is highly probable if not certain thar this poor woman was herself too contaminated by Italian people in this resort.
Commenting in this way in the french mainstream media is strictly forbidden.