The World Health Organization on Thursday called the coronavirus epidemic that killed 213 people in China an international public health emergency.
Concerns are spreading faster than the epidemic coronavirus, the latest death toll of which is 213 in China. Criticized for its procrastination, the‘The World Health Organization declared an international emergency on Thursday 30 January, but said it was confident that Beijing would be able to stop the contagion.
Are you worried about the coronavirus and its possible consequences in France? Thursday, January 30, the epidemiologist and scientific coordinator at Inserm Eric D’Ortenzio answered questions from internet users of franceinfo. Here is this exchange.
@ems: We hear specialists announce a peak in ten days and others a peak in May with hundreds of thousands of contaminated … What are the most likely scenarios? Are we in danger? I am pregnant and I feel vulnerable, this leads me to ask myself a lot of questions … Sometimes we are reassured by certain speeches and the next minute, we come across a dramatic article … How to discern the true from the false?
Eric D’Ortenzio: We are in a rather exponential growth phase of the epidemic in China. At present, it is very difficult to predict the time of the epidemic peak and everything will depend on the effectiveness of the preventive measures implemented in China.
@Za : Hello, do you know what is the incubation period of the coronavirus?
Eric D’Ortenzio: With the data available today, the incubation period varies between two and fourteen days, with an average of about six days.
@Gen: I would like to know how long an infected person is contagious and how long the illness lasts before healing. Do we know?
Eric D’Ortenzio: In general, during a viral infection, the person is contagious for the duration of the symptoms. But in the case of this new coronavirus, we are still awaiting patient data to better refine the period of contagiousness.
@ Breton29: Is transmission between individuals who have not been to China today possible on French territory? On the model of what happened in Germany?
Eric D’Ortenzio: Yes, this transmission is possible if the sick person was in contact with other people before being placed in isolation. So it’s likely.
@emilie: Are there people who have recovered from the virus?
Eric D’Ortenzio: Yes. We have patient data from China which shows that people recover in most cases.
@Waina: Is the virus more likely to affect men than women?
Eric D’Ortenzio: You may be referring to a recent study of 99 patients published in the scientific journal The Lancet. These results need to be supported by other studies, especially with a larger series of patients.
@Hiram : Can you confirm information from Chinese media regarding the effectiveness of three drugs against the coronavirus?
Eric D’Ortenzio: Clinical trials evaluating antiviral therapy in China have been announced, but the results have not yet been published. So we don’t know more at the moment.
@chym: How is this virus different from other viruses such as Ebola, H1N1… What justifies such containment measures?
Eric D’Ortenzio: Unlike the Ebola virus, which is transmitted by fluids (such as blood), the new coronavirus is transmitted by direct or indirect air route, which requires isolation of the patients and special measures such as wearing a mask for patients and the caregivers who care for them.
@anoro: I heard that wearing a mask was ineffective. Why ? What is it exactly?
Eric D’Ortenzio: The wearing of a surgical mask is recommended for people infected with the new coronavirus. For caregivers caring for the sick, another type of mask is used and recommended. On the other hand, for the general population, the wearing of a surgical mask is not recommended.
@Panito: We are leaving for Laos with a stopover at Bangkok Airport in nine days. We will travel as a family with children and the elderly. Is it better to cancel this trip? What are the risks ? What are your recommendations?
Eric D’Ortenzio: If the trip was to China, it would be better to postpone it. In your case, it will be necessary to respect the usual precautions, such as frequent washing of the hands with a hydroalcoholic solution.
@An: Good evening, is it possible that the virus takes on the same scale in France as in China ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: It is very unlikely that an epidemic of a similar magnitude will spread in France. Patient detection, isolation and contact monitoring measures are in place, making it possible to limit secondary transmission around the sick.
@Paul: Can we think that being vaccinated against the flu, we are preserved, at least in part, from the coronavirus ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: No, the new coronavirus is not from the same family as the flu virus. But you are right, it is recommended to be vaccinated during this period of seasonal flu which makes each year 10 000 deaths on average in France.
@ V2P: The treatment therefore seems to be isolation until the disappearance of the virus. What do we know about the life of this virus ? Does he live in the cold ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: There has been no experimental study on the survival of the virus. I cannot therefore answer you on this point.
@AdrienK: It has now been five days since the first French cases are hospitalized and they are not cured. Do we have any idea of the duration of the symptoms of this disease ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: The duration of symptoms is variable and can go up to ten days. In the first studies, in a certain group of patients at risk, worsening of symptoms may have occurred from the eighth or ninth day.
@anonymous : I am surprised by the virtual absence of contamination on the African continent, despite daily air traffic with China. Is it due to the fact that some countries do not have the possibility or the tools to detect the virus ? Or is the absence of suspicion and proven cases real ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: The alert was also launched in Africa through the World Health Organization. The countries of the continent are therefore on the alert, even if some may still lack diagnostic kits. The international community is at work to remedy this lack.
@anonymous : VSas you said, flu averages 10 000 dead in France every year. Why the current virus involves many large-scale measures, with far fewer deaths ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: Because it is a new virus and therefore there are still many unknowns about it.
@Lalyyy: Is there a risk that children will be infected ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: The first studies, in fact, do not describe cases of infection in children. But again, it is necessary to wait for the description of a larger number of cases. It is not known, for example, whether these studies have been carried out in childcare facilities.
@Williewa: I read that many people have been able to treat themselves, yet the increase in the number of deaths is exponential in China. Were the deceased more fragile (age, poor health, immunodeficiency, etc.) ? Do we have an idea of the number of people who could be treated ?
Eric D’Ortenzio: The deceased were indeed more fragile, either in old age or with underlying pathologies (diabetes, heart or respiratory failure, etc.). At this stage of the epidemic, it is not known how many people have been healed.
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