Eleven soldiers from the mobile biological intervention column must carry out analyzes to measure the circulation of the virus in Moselle. The situation in this department worries the authorities after an surge in the number of patients affected by variants of the coronavirus.
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They hit the road at 6.30am this Sunday morning and shouldn’t arrive in Moselle before the end of the day. Eleven Firefighters were called to the rescue to map the circulation of the virus in the department, in collaboration with the Moselle firefighters.
“We export the Marseille model to Moselle”, rejoices Lieutenant Maxime, in charge of communication for marine firefighters. The soldiers will indeed put into practice their method which has already proved its worth for monitoring the evolution of the virus in Marseille: analyzes of wastewater. Because the virus is present in the stool even if the infected person is asymptomatic, this method helps prevent clusters. The Marins-Pompiers thus regularly take wastewater from schools and retirement homes.
The Marins-Pompiers carry out more than 200 samples of Marseille’s wastewater every week.
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© Xavier Schuffenecker / FTV
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The technique, developed this summer, also makes it possible to reveal the presence of the virus quarter by quarter by taking samples directly from the sewers. At the beginning of February, it made it possible to highlight an explosion in the number of cases in the most disadvantaged districts of Marseille, the 3rd, 15th and 16th arrondissements.
Marine firefighters also have tools to assess the proportion of variants present in infected wastewater.
[covid-variants] The @MarinesPompiers, the city of @marseille, @IHU_Marseille and the@ARSPaca have a new tool for screening variants in real time by wastewater to act as close as possible to the virus. ???? barrier gestures! ???? pic.twitter.com/xXm9NTpYmO
– Marins-Pompiers de Marseille (@MarinsPompiers) February 12, 2021
These skills are recognized at the highest level of the State, since the Marins-Pompiers were assigned to Moselle by the interministerial crisis center (CIC) headed by the Ministry of the Interior. In this department, the situation is worrying. Despite a surge in the number of patients infected with the various variants of the virus, the government does not wish to strengthen health measures for the moment. The priority remains vaccination and isolation of patients.
As soon as the chains of contamination are isolated, as soon as potentially contagious people are sheltered and isolated at home (…) we are on the right track
The Marseille method completes the panoply of the authorities to monitor the health situation in Moselle. “It is a success for us and a little pride, our expertise is recognized”, rejoices Lieutenant Maxime. “And if in addition we can help our colleagues from Moselle …” The Marseille firefighters will be on the ground from Monday morning for at least one week.
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