How are hospitals facing the coronavirus epidemic? In one week, everything speeds up. WHO has characterized the coronavirus as pandemic and has alerted all countries that they should take radical measures. Emmanuel Macron addressed and said that schools were shutting down. The day after, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced to shut down all non-necessary stores. And since then, total confinement has been implemented throughout France. For Anthony – working as a nurse in a nursing home – the situation is getting bigger. The lack of means, material and hospital staff would lead to even more deaths. “Caregivers are on the frontline. If the virus keeps spreading, the remaining staff could be requisitioned to secure minimum servicing” he says.
Nurse in a hospital, Jeanne paints the same and sad picture: “everything lacks everywhere, we have to hide facemasks to make sure they are not stolen!” And they are not even speaking about the exhaustion of the medical staff that is more and more present. “Our vacations and days-off are cancelled until further notice… It’s complicated to come every day without resting and to have to fight, simply to have the means to protect everyone” she explains. Facing this situation, Jeanne reminds us they need support form everyone and we must “stop uselessly stockpiling facemasks, think about people on the frontline”.
Jeremy* (whose name has been changed) is a nurse in Paris suburbs and highlighted another big problem. “The government tried and alert, prevent and take measures progressively. But it’s not enough, people are still out” he says. In Île-de-France for instance, on a sunny Sunday, the day after announcing the lockdown of restaurants, movie theaters and usual common places, some people noticed these new restrictions did not seem to worry Île-de-France inhabitants. Since then, the confinement has been announced and the entire medical staff unites and ask every single one of us to not go against the health recommendations.
