Anne-Claude Crémieux, professor specializing in infectious diseases at Saint-Louis hospital in Paris, said Monday, November 8 on franceinfo that “in regions where we have a mask at school, there are fewer pediatric cases” of Covid-19. After the All Saints holidays, the mask becomes mandatory again in 40 departments while the indicators of the epidemic are on the rise in France. Two-thirds of the departments are affected by this measure.
MENU. Covid-19: wearing a mask again compulsory in primary school in 40 additional departments
franceinfo: Are we right to play yoyo with a mask at school?
Anne-Claude Crémieux: We are right to put it back on when the virus begins to circulate again because the mask protects. It not only protects children, it has been well demonstrated. In regions where we have a mask at school, there are fewer pediatric cases. It protects families.
“When you have a child at school, the risk of infection is tripled at home.”
Professor Anne-Claude Crémieuxto franceinfo
The fact that the child wears a mask at school will decrease this risk of family transmission and, consequently, will also decrease the circulation of the virus in the population. In England, they have taken off the mask at school and the teenage population is very poorly vaccinated. As a result, they are now seeing a rebound which is closely linked to school-age children.
What is the role of the school in the rebound of the epidemic?
These are not extremely precise things, but what we know is that in France, thanks to the vaccination of adolescents, thanks to the vaccination of teachers and thanks to the measures taken in schools, the rebound we are seeing today is not a rebound particularly linked to this circulation of the virus in schools. A very different situation from England and this demonstrates the effectiveness of the measures taken at school.
Is it possible to spend the winter without restriction?
We will spend the winter keeping all the weapons we have to curb the circulation of the virus. The vaccine coverage that we have of 75% is important to curb the virus, but it is not enough. This is the reason why other measures must be combined with this vaccine. The mask, very effective, and then this health pass which allows us to reduce the risk of having someone who is infected in a closed environment. It is also very important because this Delta variant spreads very extensively in closed aerosol environments.
The vaccination has been skating for several weeks. Is this our weak point?
What we are starting to see today in hospitals, in addition to unvaccinated people, are people who are insufficiently vaccinated with a vaccine that is more than six months old in people who are likely to have a severe form. . Who are they ? People over 65 and people with risky co-morbidities. They now have insufficient protection against severe forms. Yes, she needs to be vaccinated today when the virus is circulating.