MAINTENANCE. Dr Alvarez, infectious disease specialist at Toulouse University Hospital: “Seeing unvaccinated volunteers in intensive care is depressing”
The number of Covid + patients hospitalized at Toulouse University Hospital has doubled in the past three weeks. Among them, a high proportion of unvaccinated people. A situation that depresses caregivers. Dr Muriel Alvarez, infectious disease specialist in charge of the Covid cell at the CHU, explains why. Maintenance.
When did you start to feel the fifth wave at Toulouse University Hospital?
It’s been three weeks. The number of hospitalizations has doubled between Purpan, Rangueil and Larrey since November 15. Monday evening, there were 83 patients from all departments, including 16 in intensive care and 5 in critical beds (intensive care or continuous monitoring). But it goes up less sharply than what we experienced in August 2020.
What is the share of unvaccinated people in hospitalized Covid +? And more generally, is the average age different from previous waves?
Almost all are not vaccinated. Of the 16 patients in shifts, only one is vaccinated. But it’s a person with comorbidities who is immunocompromised. Regarding age, we have been treating young people for a while, even very young people who are under 30 years old, without comorbidity. The difference is that now they are often unvaccinated volunteers. And that is very sad. Especially for them and their families. But for caregivers too. Car on is tired. In this context, seeing unvaccinated people sick is depressing. It’s not my state of mind, you have to treat everyone equally. But I understand that some colleagues are angry.
What feeds the anger of these caregivers? Did you have to recall some of them on vacation?
No, apart from the specific case of the first wave, leave has always been taken. But we think of those places in intensive care that could be occupied by others. The sector of non-Covid patients is very important during this winter period. Patients who were sometimes late for surgeries during the health crisis and who would need space in sheaves or internal medicine. So, in a period of very strong hospital activity, like at the moment, this surplus of Covid patients, that makes it more complex. But at the CHU, we are there to welcome all patients who present themselves, whoever they are. And for the moment, we are in normal capacity, which allows us to cope.
Do you think this will be the case until the end of the fifth wave?
There is a fight between the spread of the virus favored by the climatic conditions and the vaccine booster. We are going to win our fight if the people who have had their two doses get their vaccine booster and if we go to the people who do not want to be vaccinated. We must go to them because they constitute our margin for progress in this fight. This morning again, I had one of my unvaccinated patients who still has questions. I took the time to explain to her and I think she is going to be vaccinated. Often, the unvaccinated are misinformed and misguided people. I’m kidding, but after five months of double vaccination, people can see that a third ear has not grown on the vaccinated. They also see that there are sick people around them and that the vaccinated people who get sick have almost nothing. I think it will decide more and more to take the plunge.
You are therefore confident for the future!
For now, we are in control of the situation. We have had exemplary caregivers for two years. They are obviously tired. But there is professional conscience. We’ll get there.