Jamil Rahmani, head of the resuscitation-anesthesia service at the Franco-British Hospital in Levallois-Perret fears a second wave because of a “relaxation of the French”. The only way to avoid it, he said, “is to maintain the barrier measures and massively test the populations”.
The virological test campaign that will be launched in 30 towns in Ile-de-France is “a very good initiative” and should be extended to the regions Hauts-de-France, Grand-Est and PACA, said Jamil Rahmani, head of the resuscitation-anesthesia service at the Franco-British Hospital in Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de-Seine), Friday June 26 on Franceinfo. “The massive practice of tests will allow us to flush out what are called ‘dormant clusters'” and avoid “a second wave” coronavirus epidemic, he said. Jalil Rahmani also notes too much “relaxation” and calls on the French to respect barrier gestures.
franceinfo: Do you think this test campaign can be effective in preventing a second wave?
Jalil Rahmani: Yes, I think it is a very good initiative. There is the great fear of a second wave, and what would prevent it is not only the barrier measures, but also the large-scale tests. Because there are indeed healthy carriers, carriers who ignore each other and who can contaminate those around them. So the massive practice of testing will make it possible to flush out what are called “dormant clusters”, the clusters of people who are not sick but who are carriers of the virus. And there, I think it is really a very good initiative, which should also be extended to three other regions of France: Hauts-de-France, Grand-Est, and the PACA region.
Asian countries have managed to contain the epidemic thanks to massive tests.at franceinfo
What is the situation at the Franco-British Hospital? Do you still see patients arriving in intensive care?
In intensive care, no, there is none. There are a few cases that come to the emergency room, but it’s really on the fringes. It has nothing to do with what happened in February, March and even April. It is really very calm, but it is not a reason to relax the precautions. Barrier gestures must be maintained. People on the street, in stores are not reasonable. And there was a lot of relaxation at the Fête de la musique.
Do you fear a second wave because of this relaxation?
Yes, clearly. If the people are not reasonable, if the French population is not reasonable, I think there is a risk of a second wave. You know, the “R” which is the coefficient of infectivity of an infected patient, when it is less than 1, the epidemic regresses. But when it becomes greater than 1, the epidemic resumes. In Normandy, for example, this “R” was 1.6 in recent days. So the great fear of the public authorities is that there is a second wave. And one way to avoid this second wave is to maintain the barrier measures and massively test the populations.
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