Over 450 doctors shoot, in an open letter posted Friday on the Knack website, the alarm bell due to a lack of public support, they said, for the measures taken to stem the epidemic. They point out that support for the guidelines is essential to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
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Doctors speak “missed opportunity“while the last National Security Council did not impose the wearing of a mandatory mask. The CNS argued that this measure might not have been understood by the population while the”figures“show a”downward trend“.
“We seem to forget that this downward trend occurred after a period of confinement and after weeks of strict compliance with the rules.“write the doctors.
Wearing a mask is simple, they say. “I protect you, you protect me. With a mask, we protect each other. In addition, it is a cheap measure without the harmful effects of containment.“
The argument of opponents of the widespread use of masks that it would be harmful to health is, according to these doctors, “a blatant lie“. “Naturally, mouth masks make sense, otherwise we wouldn’t need them that much in hospitals.“
Doctors point in particular to “the often contradictory advice”
But the concern of doctors extends beyond the masks. “We find that the downward trend in the numbers gives the impression that the coronavirus ‘is gone’. In recent weeks, further easings have been chained at an accelerated rate, while measures are less and less respected […] Collective attention threatens to relax at a crucial time“, say providers.”The virus’s reproduction number (which indicates how many individuals an infected person infects, NLDR) approaches 1. If it exceeds the number 1, the pandemic will resume.“
“We understand that politics is a balancing act, taking into account public health, the economy, our human and social needs, our psychological well-being and many other variables. But with the multitude of rules, exceptions, flexibilities, debates on the interests which must prevail and especially the many often contradictory councils, no adhesion was created but only confusion and frustration.“
“There is too little emphasis on the fact that respecting the rules will allow us to return to normal life more quickly, with less risk of a second wave“, conclude the doctors.
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