On Christmas Eve, the French rushed to test so as not to infect their loved ones.
“No gifts for me this year”, on Christmas eve and on vacation, many French people flock to pharmacies, laboratories and screening centers to take all precautions before reuniting with their families.
In the middle of a queue to be tested for Covid-19, David is distraught: he learned yesterday that his antigen test was positive and must perform a PCR to confirm it. “Sad and disappointed”, he spent Christmas alone in his “little two-room apartment” in Montrouge. “I had to go down south to see my family, but there you go,” he sighs, “no presents for me this year”.
Like him, other people are patient. All arrived half an hour before the laboratory opened, shortly after 7:00 a.m. “I came yesterday but there were too many people,” says Deborah, 38 years old. So she tries it again today before going to work.
“No stress. If I have to have it, I would have it. I just don’t want to pass it on. My sister-in-law is pregnant. Yes it’s the holidays and it hurts but you have to protect those around you” , recalls the young woman.
500 meters further on, in Châtillon, in another analysis laboratory, some were far-sighted and reserved a slot weeks in advance, others found availability by chance.
As the holidays approach, more and more people are “worried about the Covid and the 5th wave”, indicates Dr. Charles Boccara, biologist and head of the laboratory.
In this center, all 60 slots have been reserved. But if a person is in contact or has symptoms, they are not refused. “We can go up to 100 patients per day,” adds Dr Boccara. “We must be around 20 to 30% positive. Which is considerable! We had not seen that for a few months, there is really a very strong push,” he continues.
In the center of Nantes, the Biolance laboratory is always full. “I had made an appointment in advance for myself and for my children. At Christmas there will not be many at the table but I do not want to be stressed all evening,” says Stéphane, 41 years old.
In front of him, a woman who came without an appointment leaves empty-handed: the laboratory no longer has any PCR test window until next Tuesday.
“We were already full last week. And given the current wave, it is not ready to calm down,” sighs one of the employees.
Self-test shortage
Near the Nantes train station, in front of the Boulevard pharmacy, around ten people are waiting. “There is no more self-test here,” says a man as he comes out of the store. Half of the customers, some suitcases in hand, leave the queue.
“We have been out of stock since the beginning of the week”, explains Laurence Biais, pharmacist. “We regularly place orders but they arrive very slowly.” Same shortage in Rennes. In the small neighborhood pharmacy of Damien Puissant on the quays of the Vilaine, we also see the influx linked to the end of the year celebrations.
“Saturday morning we had 150 tests (in stock), and at noon, there were no more. Since then we have been delivered every evening, and before the end of the day there are no more. We are still waiting for one more. delivery today. “
Are self-tests requested due to symptoms or proximity to the holidays? “Both but often for the holidays anyway,” according to a pharmacist. “People are going around pharmacies, because many of us are out of stock.”
A young woman enters the pharmacy and leaves a few moments later, a little disappointed. “I had come to ask for a self-test, there was no longer any. I wanted to do a lab test, but there were no more appointments available. I will have to do the tour”, explains Marie, 27 years old. , an interior designer who will certainly have to do “without”.
Any reproduction prohibited