Should France implement a nationwide quarantine like Italy's? A top Parisian infectious disease specialist says yes, while highlighting COVID-19's deceptive nature and underscoring risks many still overlook.
France has not yet reached stage 3 of the COVID-19 epidemic, but the numbers are climbing daily. The latest figures report 2,876 confirmed cases, including 129 in serious condition and 61 deaths. On March 12, 2020, President Emmanuel Macron announced the closure of all nurseries, schools, colleges, high schools, and universities. Around the same time, Le Parisien featured insights from Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectiology department at Paris's Tenon Hospital, who advocates for a full quarantine.
Dr. Pialoux notes his department is under significant strain from a steady influx of patients. While 80% of cases are mild, COVID-19 is more contagious and deadlier than the seasonal flu. He points to challenging cases observed in China, where patients appeared to recover only to relapse around a week later and require intensive care. "A patient can seem fine, then suddenly, in the second week—on day 8 or 10—end up in intensive care," he explains. The virus's deceitful profile is further evidenced by asymptomatic carriers who appear healthy but spread the infection.
Dr. Pialoux observes a concerning shift in ICU admissions. Initially, patients were mostly vulnerable individuals or those in respiratory distress. Now, people in their 30s or 40s with no prior medical history are increasingly common. "The profile of ICU patients is changing... It's no longer rare to see 30- or 40-year-olds with no underlying conditions... This is the ground reality. The risk is broadening," he told Le Parisien. With no evidence of viral mutation, the reasons for impacting younger people remain unclear.
This trend echoes President Macron's address: "We must prepare for a second wave that will affect younger people later on, who are seemingly less at risk but will also require treatment."
Jean-Michel Constantin, Deputy Secretary General of the French Society of Anesthesia and Resuscitation (SFAR), attributes this to widespread transmission, with some young people developing critical forms of the disease. Notably, about 80% of severe cases ultimately recover. While survivors face no long-term lung damage, they often endure exhaustion lasting up to six months, requiring rehabilitation for neuromuscular effects, he adds.
Globally, with 135,000 cases and around 5,000 deaths, the pandemic persists. Yet, China's improvement and South Korea's effective response offer hopeful models.
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