The second on a ranking are sometimes the first humanely. This is the case of Romain Bilquez, 34 years old. This resuscitation nurse works in a clinic in Yvelines, and since the start of the health crisis, in a Covid-19 unit.
He remembers the first day: “The service was filled in 24 hours from the time we were authorized to take Covid patients. We went from 11 intensive care beds to 20. There is a really impressive side, the fact that everything the world be in uniform, with the protective mask, with the reorganization. “
Despite all the precautions taken, several resuscitators and emergency doctors contract the virus. “An emergency doctor got it and died. He had been retired since September and returned to help with this pandemic.”
His wife is due to give birth soon
At that time, Romain’s main anxiety was that he too was infected, because his wife is pregnant with their first child and she is due to give birth soon.
“We limited contacts as much as possible from the time she was in the last trimester of pregnancy”, he says. “It was hello from afar. I washed at work before I left, I would come home and take a shower.”
His wife gives birth on March 22 to a little Jules. “Luckily I was able to attend the delivery”, rejoices Romain. Because it happened on the last day when the spouse’s presence in the work room was authorized.
“It was complicated for my wife, motherhood was forbidden to visits, even to the spouse the four days she was hospitalized, he explains. With the accumulated fatigue and the baby, it was not obvious, especially since midwives no longer took newborns, even temporarily, because of the virus. “
Chess to decompress
While his partner returns home, Romain must continue his work for a few days while waiting to take his paternity leave. During his 12-hour round-the-clock hours, when he, like all caregivers, was prohibited from leaving the Covid unit, he found his own way of decompressing during the crisis: chess.
It’s always been my passion, I’ve been playing it for 25 years.
“On the phone, there are several sites we play on: chess24.com, lichess.org, where there are players from all over the world, and since I work at night, I can even play games at 3 am “, he explains.
“It really makes it possible to cut, to think of something else, he analyzes. It’s a psychological fatigue that is pleasant, because we take pleasure in playing our games, it is above all a moment of relaxation. “
“Let’s put the virus checkmate”
A few days later, Romain is about to take paternity leave: “From the moment I had my last night, since I knew I was going to be in contact with my baby, I made sure to be tested to be sure of not being positive. well timed because it was at the time of the enlargement of the screenings “, he remembers.
During his leave, Romain takes care of his baby and makes sure to give his wife maximum relief. But failures are never far away. Member of the Nogent-le-Roi club, then that of Chartres for three years, he decides to participate on weekend of May 2 and 3 at a 24-hour online tournament. A tournament with an eloquent name: “Let’s put the virus checkmate”.
It is indeed a charity marathon where players must chain and win the maximum number of games. In parallel, animators comment and call on online spectators to make donations for the Fondation de France.
“One hour break for the bottle”
The tournament started on Saturday May 2 at 3 p.m. and ended on Sunday at the same time. “During the 24 hours, I had to take an hour off to give the bottle, and my wife could continue to rest”, remembers Romain. Without sleeping, he chained 221 games.
He finished 2nd out of 2,984 participants, and won a prize: access to online exercises and courses to progress: “I think I’ll give it to an acquaintance.”
His mobilization and that of chess players made it possible to collect 9,733 euros. Donations can still be made online on the Fondation de France website until May 10.
Romain still has a few days to fully enjoy his baby and this new life for three, before returning to work in mid-May.
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