Masks and barrier gestures would have contributed to reduce many epidemics – JP PARIENTE / SIPA
The barrier gestures that have been scrupulously applied since the coronavirus have a huge influence on all winter epidemics . An article from France Info reports thus that the cases of flu , bronchiolitis and other gastric diseases, diseases which usually wreak havoc every French winter, are not very present for the moment.
The reason is easily found for the doctors and health specialists questioned by our colleagues: gestures of social distancing. By insisting on hand washing, wearing a mask and minimizing gatherings, the French are not only fighting against the coronavirus, but also against all epidemic diseases.
Should the barrier gestures be maintained?
Santé Publique France declared in its last epidemiological bulletin that there is “no active circulation of influenza viruses”, unlike in other years. Even if, in the specific context of this disease , the explanation is as much barrier gestures as a campaign by
preventive and very important vaccination against influenza in previous months, to avoid overloading resuscitations, already under pressure with the coronavirus.
So the same goes for bronchiolitis and gastroenteritis , almost disappeared from doctors’ radars this winter. Observations that question the future: it would therefore be good not to renounce all barrier gestures even once vaccinated and free of the coronavirus.