The president of Samu-urgences de France, Dr François Braun, is worried about a “deadly third wave” in March because the other has not ebbed enough. “Very clearly, we fear this third wave,” said Dr. Braun, recalling that despite “the measures taken,” the virus continues to circulate “at a high level.” “We will not be able to absorb this third wave in the same way as the first and a fortiori the second,” he assures us.
“In the beginning it was the first wave, a tsunami in the Grand Est. But with the inclusion the level had come down to almost zero. The fact is that in France there has always been a background from Covid-19 and since the end of the summer, for several reasons “It has increased again. We called it” the second wave “. But it was rather a rising tide over several months”, explained the person who is also head of crisis situations at Metz / Thionville CHR.
The second wave “small descent”
“Various measures have been taken, but this wave has only fallen a little. And the third, which will be announced in March, risks drowning us,” said the doctor, reminding that hospitals currently operate almost normally, in contrast to the spring when they were in “anti-Covid” mode during confinement. In addition, the “nurses are at the end of the rope”.
Yet, during the first days of the crisis, Dr. Braun had the impression of living the “golden age of crisis.” “All the hospitals were organized to take care of Covid-19 patients. There had been a closure of planned activities and therefore several problems for emergency medicine to find a place: fluidity, no waiting time in the emergency room unlike in ‘other countries, none economic constraints, ‘recalls François Braun. During this initial period, crisis situations, devoted solely to the pandemic, had registered “a drop in attendance of up to 40%”.
This golden period did not last, however, to the great regret of the commander of the Samu crises in France. Lack of flow in care, difficulties in admitting patients, the two major evils in emergencies, where around 9000 doctors work in France (emergency doctors, general practitioners, pediatricians …), have reappeared. “We have seen bad habits return. From hospitals in the west of France, areas that had not been hit hard by this Covid-19 problem. At the beginning of the autumn, bad habits had returned everywhere in France,” the emergency department apologizes. has taken over from doctors in hospitals.
Le Ségur: “it’s a disappointment”
François Braun relied heavily on Ségur de la santé to treat “dying public hospitals”, “sick people all over the organization, the funding …” “We wanted to put everything on the right track (…) and start again, equivalent the reform of prescriptions “by Robert Debré (1958) with the creation of the CHU. Alas, it is “a disappointment”: “Ségur treated the symptoms, not the disease which is deeper.”
When it comes to stopping the third wave? “I hear the citizen moaning because of barrier movements, confinement. But let him come to the hospital a little! I think of those who do not have a job. For them it is hell. So if everyone can do a little …” he says.
When it comes to the vaccination campaign, Dr. Braun is very serious about state communication, although he acknowledges that it is complicated and that France does not have enough doses at the moment. “We’re going into the wall,” he said.
“Riots in vaccination centers”
“I give a ticket that a person who has not been able to be vaccinated in a month and take Covid, will submit a complaint,” he expects. And to note that “it is difficult to understand that it will come gradually”.
“We threw the vaccines in the middle of the crowd and helped yourself! I fear for the next few weeks, at least during the ten days, riots in the vaccination centers,” he says, counting on the third vaccine, “Astra-Zeneca in late January.” to calm the tension a bit.