The day after the first death recorded in France, and although a twelfth case of contamination was recorded in the country, on Saturday, the doctors wanted to be reassuring. Like Professor Yazan Yazdanpanah, infectious disease specialist at the Bichat hospital in Paris, who assures that “most forms are not serious”.
“Some are, especially in people who have a history of respiratory or heart diseases, and who are older,” he continues at the microphone of Europe 1, with reference to the first victim recorded in France.
The elderly, “more at risk”
Followed by Professor Yazdanpanah, the man, a Chinese tourist hospitalized in Paris since the end of January, was 80 years old. “This is something that was unfortunately expected,” says the infectious disease specialist, “these people are more at risk when they get an infection, especially a coronavirus.”
Performing the parallel with the seasonal flu which, each year, affects 2 to 8 million people in France and is responsible for the death of 10,000 to 15,000 people each year, Yazan Yazdanpanah recalls that a flu caught by an octogenarian, more vulnerable to the virus, can quickly degenerate into a severe flu.
The professor also recalls the mode of transmission of Covid-19, “respiratory transmission, by droplets”, hence the importance of wearing a mask. A mask is necessary, however, “only if you have been exposed to a patient or come back from an area where he has an epidemic”.
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