Many seniors do not hide their fear of the possibility of a second wave hitting Quebec in the fall, which could be dramatic for this part of the population.
“I really hope that if there is a second wave it won’t be that hard. It scares me, but I hope the world will listen [les consignes] “, Urges Jeannine Thériault.
The 88-year-old woman lives alone in her apartment in Montreal.
For her, as for many seniors, the coronavirus crisis was a real upheaval. Overnight, activities were canceled and outings banned.
But in addition to the anxiety of having to shut himself up again at home, it is also the fear of contracting the disease, which has killed more than 5,762 in Quebec, which is hovering.
In the province, more than 91% of people who died from COVID-19 were over 70 years old. And even if 68% of deaths occurred in CHSLDs, 17% took place in retirement homes and 10% at home.
Louise Dolbec, who lives in a seniors’ residence in the metropolis, fears confinement as much as the second wave which could begin in the fall.
” In [la résidence], there are 330 apartments and we were lucky not to have had any cases yet. But here, I’m afraid that the virus will come back and that it will be transmitted to us, ”explains the 78-year-old woman.
She denounces people who are less respectful of sanitary instructions in the street.
The same goes for Louise Lambert, 70, who has been confined to her apartment since November because of severe emphysema, a serious respiratory disease.
For Éric Côté, volunteer coordinator at Les Accordailles, the first wave has already had devastating effects on the health and morale of seniors.
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Photo Clara Loiseau
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Eric Côté
Coordinator, Les Accordailles
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“We see that some people have really regressed. Some who used to work very well hardly work anymore. There was a big loss of mobility, but also a lot of depressions, ”he notes.
Julie Lévesque, scientific advisor at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), agrees. According to her, there is no doubt that another confinement will have serious consequences on the health of the elderly.
“It will cause more suffering in the elderly, it is very harmful to the health of these people, even if they do not catch the virus,” concludes Ms. Lévesque.
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