We have just come out of days when France experienced unprecedented temperatures, only to return there already. On the eve of a third heat wave, France counts the first victims. They will certainly be beyond the thousand mentioned for the moment. Among them, the first figures from Public Health France indicate a high proportion of people over 65 years old.
If the recent heatwave exceeded that of 2003 in terms of rising temperatures, for the moment it does not appear as deadly – 15,000 people died. In particular thanks to greater preparation of nursing homes, and better information aimed at those most at risk. The same cannot be said of places of collective care such as schools, nurseries or hospitals.
“The delay effect”
Yet. While attention is now focused (rightly) on drownings and the dramatic forest fires that need to be contained, vigilance towards the most fragile elderly people must not decrease in intensity. The heatwave lands them in their homes, imposing silence and invisibility on them. The possibility of reaching them, particularly to relay local initiatives, is restricted, especially when the territorial network of associations is weak. And home mortality has jumped 40% since the end of June.
We know that some people may not be able to tolerate this new heatwave. We also know the “delayed effect” of the first heatwaves, which is harmful to older organisms. As in most health disasters, it is essential that an impeccable and solid public health policy be deployed. This is not enough. Let’s change scale. Solidarity is a matter for each of us. In the family, the neighborhood, the professional environment sometimes. Let’s listen to the quietest among us.
