Have you forgotten the barrier gestures? Public Health France published this Wednesday, November 8, the results of its CoviPrev survey, which particularly follows the evolution of the adoption of preventive behaviors in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic.
The public body dependent on the Ministry of Health reveals that 31% of people surveyed in September and who showed signs of Covid-19 since January 2023 did not undergo a screening test after presenting symptoms. 30% explained it by not worrying about whether or not they had Covid-19. 29% of them also explained that the test result would not have changed anything because they were used to isolating or wearing a mask when they had symptoms and 18% felt that getting tested was too restrictive.
Although it is no longer mandatory to isolate yourself in the event of a positive Covid-19 test, it is still highly recommended to apply barrier gestures in case of symptoms suggesting the disease. These actions are the following: wear a mask in the presence of other people, wash your hands very regularly, encourage teleworking if possible, ventilate or ventilate the premises where you are, and avoid contact with vulnerable people.
Greater adherence to barrier gestures in the case of Covid than in the case of flu
But in September, “only one in two people (54% of respondents) indicated that having symptoms of illness such as fever or cough would encourage them to wear a mask this winter (a slight increase compared to September 2022, where this proportion was 47%).”, according to Public Health of France.
In the event of a new epidemic wave of Covid-19, 60% of those surveyed would be willing to respect barrier gestures, compared to only 25% in the event of a flu epidemic. For SPF, “this shows the still strong correlation between barrier gestures and the recommendations associated with Covid-19 since 2020.”
13% still often wear a mask in public.
13% also stated that no reason would push them to continue or increase the adoption of barrier gestures. By contrast, 13% said they still frequently wear a mask in public.
Therefore, Public Health of France considers “necessary to remember the importance of adopting barrier gestures to protect oneself from all winter diseases, in particular the use of a mask in case of symptoms (cold, fever, headache, sore throat or cough). ), in crowded places and in the presence of vulnerable people.
Source: BFM TV
