“Everything is going very quickly,” says infectious disease specialist Gilles Pialoux

Professor Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at the Tenon hospital in Paris, invited on Friday February 11 on franceinfo, believes “everything goes very fast”concerning announcements of relief from the health protocol at school and in establishments open to the public which require the vaccination pass. “Is it social time, political time, perhaps a response to the freedom convoy?”commented the infectious disease specialist, in reference to the movement inspired by Canadian truckers who plan to “block” Paris this Friday to protest against health measures.

However, he recognizes that “in the field”the situation is improving and takes as proof “the opening of non-covid beds”. “Afterwards, you have to look at all the weighting factors, because the data from Public Health France show that the positivity rate is falling for the first time in 16 weeks, but not among the elderly”he nuanced.

“Just because the mask is not mandatory does not mean that it is not recommended”insisted Gilles Pialoux, ironically on the fact that “The condom is not compulsory but that’s not why we tell people not to put it”. An example that he himself called “cartoonish”.

“I hope the executive’s speech will remind us that it is not useless because there are people to protect.”

Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at Tenon hospital

at franceinfo

On the desire to carry out fewer tests, especially at school, “everyone agrees that screening needs to be recalibrated”estimated Gilles Pialoux. “On the other hand, it is probably necessary to prioritize screening” he indicated, so as not to “not to bottle the laboratories” at the least “runny nose.”

He also denounced “the mixed message” of the government to the French when he says “you are not subject to the vaccination pass, you must put on a mask”. “Firstly, it’s as if the objects are not associable in a combined prevention and, secondly, they are told that they have the same objective. It is not the same objective, the mask protects you from transmission , the vaccine protects you from severe forms of the disease”clarified Gilles Pialoux.