Reread, the better to remember.
What did we experience, and how?
March 12 / April 17, 2020.
“Journal du Coronavirus 1-22” by Thérèse Fournier.
illustrations by Juanjo Surace.
Coronavirus Diary 3.
Terror on the Diamond Princess
Monday, March 16 2020.
This is going at full speed. In France, 0 cases of February 24. 5,500 cases today, that is to say 3 weeks later. France shares with Italy and Spain the gold medal for the brutal rise in charts - like the surge in cases of the Diamond Princess infection - an unstoppable outbreak of fever.
On January 3, the Diamond Princess, a cruise liner 290 meters long, 36 wide, with 1337 cabins including 750 with balconies, 2674 passengers and 1238 cabin crew and crew, left from Cai Lan in Vietnam, made a stopover in Keelung , Taiwan. But on February 1 he was quarantined on the island of Okinawa. On board, an 80-year-old man presented with suspicious symptoms. The alert is lifted and the huge liner, rustling with rhythms and laughter, takes to the sea with its bistros, nightclubs, cinemas and its aquatic side - a dream at sea. And there… on February 4, 10 passengers are diagnosed positive. The ship is confined in the port of Yokohama for 10 days. The next day February 5, 10 more, February 9, they are 70, then 135 the next day, February 11, 174, February 13, 218, February 15, 285.
On February 17, as the United States began repatriating nationals of the Diamond Princess, followed by Australia and Canada, more than 384 people were infected. On February 18, 454, February 19, 600. The number of infected will reach 696, of 11 different nationalities.
On February 16, another cruise liner, the MS Westerdam, banned from disembarking in several countries, ended up disembarking its 1,200 passengers, of 20 different nationalities, in Cambodia. All the passengers go home. In Malaysia, a passenger from MS Westerdam tested positive. Dr William Schaffner sees this as a "turning point" in the epidemic - namely, its accelerated spread by travelers.
Week from February 24 to March 1.
In Europe, on February 21, in Italy, occurs the first death of a European who did not visit China. And Italy is taking over. On February 22, 32 cases, on February 23, 150, on February 27, 650, On February 29, a week later the threshold of one thousand cases was crossed in Italy - on March 9, last Monday, Italy was fully quarantined.
Of the first cases in France, all have passed through Italy. On February 24, French Minister of Health Olivier Véran announced that there were no longer any hospitalized patients or identified patients in France.
February 25, first cases in Spain. 2 new cases are detected in France.
On February 26, France announced three new cases, and the death on the night of 25 to 26 at the Pitié-Salpétrière hospital, of a 60-year-old teacher at the Jean-La-Fontaine college in Crépy-en- Valois in the Oise. He had not been to any risk areas. There are now more cases recorded outside of China than in China. On February 27, 20 additional cases in France in 24 hours. 38 people are now infected. On February 28, 19 new cases, including 18 in the Oise. Germany recognizes 67 cases. On February 29, the bar of 100 cases was reached in France. 5 days earlier there was not one declared.
Week of March 2 to 8:
In March things accelerated. The trajectory of the 3 cases detected in Saint Barth is exemplary as an example of dissemination. Parents from Paris visit their son in Saint Barth. However, the son is detected as positive. The parents were about to board the plane from Paris, to the Princess Juliana airport in the Dutch part of the island. Having symptoms of the virus themselves, they were hospitalized in Saint Martin. How many people have they infected in the process? And how many passengers passed through the cracks have been spreading the virus in their country of origin?
March 2. 2 first cases in Portugal. One was coming from northern Italy. The other had traveled to Spain.
Week of March 9 to 15:
March 11. (5 days ago). Spain passes the 2000 mark. France announces its strongest surge in 24 hours: 500 additional cases - 2281 cases. WHO declares pandemic.
12th of March. (4 days ago). Italy is stepping up its quarantine measures. Closure of all its shops, cafes, restaurants, theaters, apart from food stores and pharmacies. The United States forbids its territory to Schengen nationals. After Italy, Poland, Greece, the Czech Republic, Romania, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, France, Lithuania and Belgium announce the closure of schools, nurseries and universities. The milestone of 1000 dead is crossed in Italy.
Friday March 13 (3 days ago): WHO declares that "Europe is at the epicenter of the pandemic". Any gathering of more than 100 people is prohibited in France. Portugal declares state of emergency with 4,000 cases.
Saturday March 14 (2 days ago): Spain declares a state of emergency with 5,753 cases. In France, we went from 1,126 cases on Monday, March 9, to 4,500 cases on Saturday, March 14, which makes 1,000 additional cases per day.
This Monday, March 16, there are 5,412 cases in France.
Illustrations are by Juanjo SURACE