Back to school period obliges, moreover in full epidemic recovery of Covid-19, the announcements of the Minister of National Education on the new health protocol in force in the establishments did not fail to make speak about them. After revealing them in an interview with Parisian, Sunday January 2, Jean-Michel Blanquer returned to the subject Monday January 3 on the antenna of LCI.
👉 # Covid19 and teachers
🗣️ @jmblanquer
“Teachers are among the least contaminated and most vaccinated professional categories.”📺 #LesMatinsLCI | @EliMartichoux pic.twitter.com/4L7pkx2z7q
– LCI (@LCI) January 3, 2022
Two occasions during which the minister notably maintained that teachers were not issued with FFP2 masks, more protective against the virus, because “it is very difficult to teach with such a mask, […] moreover reserved for the nursing world ”, then that the teachers are“ much more vaccinated than the others [professions] “, But also” less contaminated “.
20 minutes takes stock of these statements.
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What Jean-Michel Blanquer said: “ [Les enseignants sont] a profession that is much more vaccinated than the others because they are undoubtedly more responsible people ”
The minister specified that “more than 90%” of teachers were vaccinated, explaining that “surveys” were carried out to find out this vaccination rate. Contacted by 20 minutes, the National Education explains that this figure is based on an “Ipsos survey of August 2021”.
More precisely, this survey, carried out “from August 10 to 16, 2021 with a representative national sample of 500 teachers from kindergarten to high school, public and private education under contract”, indicated that 87% of them had received “at least one dose” of the vaccine. 78% then had a complete vaccination schedule.
What Jean-Michel Blanquer said: “All the surveys show us that it is a less contaminated profession than the others, precisely because it is also more responsible, with respect for barrier gestures, etc. “
On the question of contamination, National Education tells us that the data on which the Minister relies are those of “the ComCor study: results and critical analysis on the study on the places and circumstances of transmission of SARS- CoV-2 of April 2021 ”.
Conducted by the Institut Pasteur from October 2020 with more than 160,000 participants infected with the virus, it had indicated, in its “interim analysis” of March 2021, that “the professional categories least at risk are, in order decreasing risk, civilian employees and service agents of the public service, administrative employees of the company, retirees, administrative intermediary professions of the public service, personnel of direct services to individuals, police and military, school teachers and teachers, the administrative and commercial intermediary professions of the company, professors and scientific professions, and farmers. “
But she was more nuanced in her April 2021 report: “Little information is available in the literature on high-risk occupations. […] Teachers do not appear to have an increased risk despite their exposure to students. But the data in this area still seem fragile, and it is preferable to remain extremely cautious about the lessons that ComCor can provide with regard to the question of professional categories at risk. “
In fact, in May 2021, an investigation by the Directorate for the animation of research, studies and statistics (Dares) on “the extent and factors of the contamination of workers with Covid-19″ underlined that ” teachers ”were among“ the professional families of employees who have the highest proportions of Covid-19 contamination ”and“ who tend to attribute this contamination the most to their work ”.
What Jean-Michel Blanquer said about his refusal to distribute FFP2 masks to teachers: “It is very difficult to teach with an FFP2 mask, which is also reserved for the nursing world”
No text reserves the wearing of the FFP2 mask to caregivers. Anyone can get them by walking through the door of a pharmacy. Outside of a pandemic period, caregivers are not the only ones to wear it: building professionals wear protection classified as FFP2. So where does this statement from Jean-Michel Blanquer come from?
National Education tells us that the minister is based on a recommendation from the High Authority for Health, dated November 19, 2020, which recommends “to wear an FFP2 mask only in the event of risky aerosol gestures planned or carried out in care environment, ”adds the ministry. In addition to the fact that this text dates from over a year ago, when the Delta and Omicron variants had not yet emerged, this recommendation, as the ministry itself notes, does not concern circles of ‘education. And for good reason, this note “aims at the management of the patient in a care environment”. Clearly, it offers a guide for doctors to welcome patients to their practices.
As for the fact that it would be “difficult to teach” with these FFP2 masks, the National Education has not given any elements to support this assertion. Agathe Garnier, SVT teacher at the Lycée Henri Loritz in Nancy, switched to the FFP2 mask before the end of year vacation. She quickly adapted to teaching with this equipment, she explains to 20 minutes : “I have no difficulty breathing. I just did four hours in a row with it. I had more trouble with the surgeons, who couldn’t hold out. The FFP2 perfectly hugs the face. “
Good teachers, the return to offensive mode 🦠🦠 with an ffp2 mask 😷 and glasses 🤓 it really does 👍. Not even fogging and more secure TP 😀# barrier gestures pic.twitter.com/Nm0EbqPL9v
– Agathe Garnier (@ GarnierAgathe2) January 3, 2022
The National Education provides fabric masks to teachers. Equipment that does not satisfy many teachers faced with the contagiousness of the Omicron wave. The refusal of the ministry to provide surgical masks or FFP2 is “quite illogical”, underlines Guislaine David, of Snuipp, the union of the teachers of the schools affiliated to the FSU. “We are trying to have the fewest sick teachers, so we have to protect them. The trade unionist recalls that kindergarten teachers face children without a mask and who are not eligible for vaccination. Same position on the part of SE-Unsa: “There is a strong demand from the profession to have masks that provide more protection. [que les masques en tissu] », Underlines Elisabeth Allain-Moreno, in charge of Covid questions within the union. Should all teachers go directly from the fabric mask to FFP2? This is not what the unions want, which ask for surgical masks, and, for teachers who want it, FFP2 type equipment.
Coupled with other barrier measures, the surgical mask has an interest, reminds doctor Michaël Rochoy, member of the Stop postillons collective. “Surgical masks are designed to limit the release of the virus,” said the general practitioner. If everyone in a room wears the mask correctly, it plays its role. The FFP2 mask aims for “individual” protection. But if you only have surgical masks at home, do not panic: contamination occurs above all in risky situations, without a mask, concludes the doctor.