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HEALTH

Coronavirus: The everyday precautions you can take to stay safe in France

If you're in France or planning a trip you may be concerned about the coronaviris cases that have been reported in the country. Here's the latest official advice on keeping safe (Paywall Free).

Published: 27 February 2020 17:35 CET
Updated: 4 March 2020 16:00 CET
Coronavirus: The everyday precautions you can take to stay safe in France
All photos: AFP

We have chosen to make this article completely free for everyone. Please support our coverage by considering joining as a member. Scroll to the bottom for more information.

 

Compared to countries like Italy and China, France has reported far fewer cases of coronavirus so far, but the French president Emmanuel Macron has warned that the epidemic is just beginning.

Follow our live coverage on the latest situation in France here.

While this sounds scary, it should be remembered that the World Health Organisation states that of the people who get the virus, 80 percent will have only mild symptoms.

Just five percent of cases become critical and the majority of the people who have died from the illness have been either elderly or had underlying health problems.

Nevertheless, it pays to be cautious. So here is the latest advice from the French government on the health precautions you can be taking.

 

  • Wash hands your thoroughly and often with soap and water, especially after coughing and sneezing or before eating or it you have been touching surfaces that many other people will have touched such as on the Metro
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.
  • Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Cover your mouth with your elbow when coughing
  • Use disposable tissues and throw them away after use
  • Clean off surfaces with alcohol- or chlorine-based disinfectants.
  • Avoid shaking hands

There's even a handy dance video to help you remember

 

As the elderly appear to be the most vulnerable to the virus, French president Emmanuel Macron has asked people to stop visiting elderly relatives and friends, in order to protect them from virus transmission.

The French government has set up a “green number” that people can call for any non-medical coronavirus-related questions. The line will be open all week from 8am until 9pm.

The number is 0 800 130 000. There are also daily updates on its website here.

Should I be wearing a mask?

The French government has put in a massive order for surgical masks, but these are high-spec ones for health workers.

The official advice is that you only need to wear a mask if you have cold or flu-like symptoms or if you have recently returned from an area that has a coronavirus outbreak.

The mask is to stop you potentially spreading infection. Other people do not need to wear a mask, and they will not protect you against the illness.

You are also asked not to buy a mask if you do not need one, as this could create shortages for people who are advised to wear them.

What about if I have been to Italy or one of the other outbreak zones?

If you have recently returned from China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Singapore, South Korea, Iran or the Lombardy or Veneto regions of Italy, the French government is asking you to self-isolate for 14 days to ensure that you do not have symptoms.

What does self isolating involve?

Well firstly if you're self isolating that's not the same as being in medical isolation, so there's no need to brick up all your windows and install air filters.

The French authorities are merely advising you to avoid “unnecessary contact” and monitor your health. Trips to the shops are not banned, so there is no need to start stockpiling and panic-buying.

The virus has a 14 day incubation period, so if you have recently returned from one of the infected zones, health authorities ask you to do the following for 14 days;

  • Monitor your temperature twice a day
  • Watch for symptoms of respiratory infection (cough, difficulty breathing)
  • Wear a surgical mask when you are in front of another person and when you have to go out
  • Wash your hands regularly or use a sanitiser gel
  • Avoid any contact with vulnerable people (pregnant women, those with ongoing health problems, elderly people
  • Avoid frequenting places where vulnerable people are present (hospitals, maternity wards, old people's homes)
  • Avoid all non-essential outings (large gatherings, restaurants, cinema)
  • Workers/Students: as far as possible, choose home working and avoid close contact (meetings, lifts, canteen)
  • Children should not be sent to school or nursery

READ ALSO Coronavirus: What are the rules on working from home in France?

What should I do if I think I have it?

If you think you have the illness do not go to hospital or your doctor's surgery. French health authorities are worried about potentially infected people turning up at hospitals and passing on the virus.

Instead call an ambulance and tell the operator it is a suspected case of coronavirus. The ambulance number in France is 15.

READ ALSO Emergency in France – who to call and what to say

French vocab

Fièvre – fever

Maux de tête – headache

Courbatures – aches

Toux – cough

Difficultés respiratoires – breathing difficulties

Un rhume – a cold

La grippe – the flu

Coronavirus – coronavirus

SAMU – the French ambulance service, or service d'aide médicale urgente, to give them their full name 

*****

Hi,
 
The Local's mission is to give our readers all the information they need about what's happening in France. We rely on paying members to do that, but we have chosen not to put any of our articles about the coronavirus behind our hard paywall, to help keep all of our readers informed. We believe it is the right thing to do at this time.
 
This means that new or occasional readers can read articles for free. On urgent need-to-know articles and official advice about coronavirus, we are also dropping the paywall completely. That includes this article. 
 
We have received many comments from supportive readers asking how can they contribute. The best way is simply to sign up as a member. You can do that in just a few moments by clicking HERE.
 
We hope our paying members understand why we have chosen to make these articles about the coronavirus free for everyone, but if you have any questions, please let me know.
 
As for the coronavirus, you can read all our articles here.
 
Kind regards,
 
Emma,
 
Editor, The Local France

 

 

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HEALTH

How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As tiger mosquitoes are now present in over 80 percent of mainland France, health authorities are worried that local transmission of tropical diseases, like dengue fever, will increase.

Published: 14 June 2024 15:15 CEST
How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

As of January 2024, tiger mosquitoes – known for their ability to carry diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus – had been detected in 78 of France’s 96 mainland départements, including the Paris region.

This has left public health authorities concerned about the spread of dengue fever in France, particularly this summer as large crowds are expected amid the Olympic Games.

READ MORE: MAP: Tiger mosquitoes reach northern France

How common is dengue fever in France?

In the first four months of 2024, 1,679 cases of dengue fever were identified in mainland France, a number that is 13 times higher than the same period last year, Le Parisien reported.

Crucially, however, none of these are believed to have been contracted in mainland France – they were all reported among patients who had recently travelled from the tropical regions where dengue fever is common.

The majority of cases were from people who had visited the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe – where the disease is endemic.

These islands are for administrative purposes part of France – so often show up in French health data – but they are roughly 7,000km away from Paris.

So far, there have not been any indigenous cases (autochtone – or people infected on mainland French soil) yet this year.

Local transmission of the disease remains relatively rare. In 2023, nine separate outbreaks of indigenous dengue transmission were identified, one of which occurred in the Paris region. These led to 45 cases of local transmission (in mainland France).

Most were in southern France – in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions – though one outbreak occurred in the Paris region, according to French public health authorities.

This is less than 2022, which was a notable year with 66 total cases of indigenous dengue fever were recorded. In comparison, between 2010 and 2021, only 48 cases (total) were recorded.

What to expect for 2024

Experts believe that the number of cases in France, including indigenous ones, will grow this year, as tiger mosquitoes now occupy more territory in mainland France.

On top of that, the number of cases has increased significantly in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“What we see in France is a mirror image of what is happening in the French Caribbean, and more widely in Latin America and the rest of the Caribbean, where dengue fever has been circulating since the start of the year at unprecedented levels”, the head of Santé Publique France, Dr Caroline Semaille, said during a press conference.

The Olympic Games will also bring an influx of tourists from all over the world, and weather conditions are expected to be conducive to mosquitoes – a year with a lot of rainfall, and potentially high temperatures. 

What is dengue fever?

The disease is spread to people from bites by infected mosquitoes.

The most common symptoms are high fever, chills, abdominal, joint and muscle pains, and vomiting. It can also cause a skin rash that resembles measles, according to France’s Institut Pasteur.

Symptoms usually begin three to 14 days (with an average of four to seven) after being bitten.

However people are asymptomatic in 50 to 90 percent of cases (depending on the epidemic), which can make monitoring difficult.

At-risk groups include the immunocompromised, children and the elderly, who are more likely to suffer from severe forms of the disease.

Deaths from the disease are very rare, occurring in around 0.01 percent of all cases, almost all in countries that have poor healthcare systems.

How can I avoid tiger mosquitoes?

Female tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, and they can lay several hundred eggs at once. Therefore try to avoid having any standing water outside your home and be aware of the items that might collect rainwater.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

READ ALSO 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

You can also keep your gutters clean – this helps to keep the water flowing when it rains, and it avoids any stagnant pools from building up.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, in addition to insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

The main difference between tiger mosquitoes and other species would be getting a bite during the day, and the fact that tiger mosquitoes are likely to bite several times. You can tell for sure if it was a tiger mosquito by seeing the insect itself. They are also silent.

There is no immediate cause for alarm if you are bitten, in almost all cases the bites are just itchy and annoying. In very rare cases, tropical diseases can be spread by the mosquitoes – seek medical help if you develop a high fever and rash.

READ MORE: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

What do tiger mosquitoes look like?

They are very small, about 5 mm, and they have a highly contrasting colour, with black and white stripes on their body and legs.

If you believe you have spotted a tiger mosquito, you can report it to public health authorities online.

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