BCP measures on psychological support and vulnerable individuals

As announced by French Prime Minister Jean Castex on November 12, the measures adopted by the government to manage the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are set to continue until at least December 1.

With regard to activities on the Institut Pasteur campus, we would reiterate the following broad guidelines:

 ◦     Avoid coming to campus unless strictly necessary
 ◦     Priority given to wet-lab research activities
 ◦     All staff who can do so must work from home

To guide you through the lockdown period, following on from the information sent out on October 29 and November 6 about the Business Continuity Plan on campus, a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is now available on the Webcampus home page (English version coming soon), covering issues related to logistics, HR, technical resources and environment, and science.

We are well aware that this second lockdown is proving more difficult than the first for many of you. For this reason, we intend to offer additional support in various ways:

Maintaining links between colleagues:

 ◦    A new program, "Let's keep in touch," is being launched and will be developed over the coming weeks, with specific question and answer session for managers, webinar information sessions, and training modules on a variety of subjects;

 ◦    Managers should ensure that the rotation system introduced for their teams enables employees to keep in touch with colleagues and does not cause people working on site to become isolated, especially junior staff.

Additional psychological support:

 ◦    The psychologist from the Occupational Health Department is available if you need psychological support during this period of great uncertainty, which can cause people to lose their bearings and develop anxiety. Preventive measures can also be discussed.

 ◦    Practical information: appointments with the psychologist are possible on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 9am to 1pm and from 2 to 6pm. Appointments should be made by directly emailing irene.cottin@pasteur.fr. These sessions can be carried out in French or English, and your confidentiality will of course be respected.

 ◦    One-hour participatory workshops, led by speakers from the French National Conservatory of Arts and Trades (CNAM) who specialize in home working, will also be held for anyone happy to participate in group sessions. Dates will be confirmed shortly.

 ◦    The Santé publique France public health website contains advice about how to look after your mental health and offers a free professional helpline available 24/7

To contact the Occupational Health Department, dial 8136 from campus or 01 45 68 81 36 if you are working from home, or send an email to the following address: drhst@pasteur.fr.

Regarding those at risk of developing a severe form of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, French decree no. 2020-1365 of November 10, 2020* provides a new list of people considered as particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 (it reintroduces the previous criteria and adds an additional 12th category).

The opinion delivered by the French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) on 29, 2020** provides a list of vulnerability criteria.

The following individuals are considered as being at risk: people aged 65 or over; people with a history of cardiovascular disease; people with poorly controlled diabetes; people with obesity (BMI>30); people with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency; people with a complex condition (motor neuron disease, myasthenia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, etc.) or a rare disease, and pregnant women in their third trimester.

New procedures for dealing with people most at risk of developing a severe form of the disease have been adopted:
◦    In its latest opinion, the HCSP notes that if remote working is not possible, people at risk of a severe form of COVID-19 may resume their regular work as long as enhanced distancing and hygiene measures are adopted.
◦    If neither remote working nor compliance with distancing and hygiene measures is possible, the decree of November 10, 2020 provides for the possibility of placing employees on partial furlough on the basis of a certificate from their family physician confirming the need for shielding. If employee and employer are unable to reach agreement about the situation, the issue may be settled by the occupational physician.

Finally, we would also take this opportunity to remind you that all additional leave (ARTT) accrued in 2020 must be taken before December 31, 2020. It will not be carried over to 2021. We would also strongly encourage you to take leave and/or additional leave over the Christmas and New Year period so that you can rest and recuperate before the start of 2021, since it is very likely that we will still be facing challenging circumstances as the new year begins.

To close, we would suggest that you might like to download the "TousAntiCovid" application, developed by the French government to encourage all citizens to help tackle the epidemic by reducing the risk of transmission. TousAntiCovid can be downloaded here. The application will alert you and others if you are exposed to COVID-19.

We would remind you that if you are infected, you must comply with internal guidelines (which you can find by clicking here) to make sure you protect your colleagues and the campus as a whole.

All the very best to you all.

The BCP (Business Continuity Plan) Committee

If you have a question that is not answered in the FAQ, please feel free to send an email to one of the following addresses:

◦    PRPA-priorite@pasteur.fr: for any questions for the COVID-19 representatives (Pascal Masse-Navette and Pierre Galopin) and general non-scientific questions (HR, health and safety, health in the workplace, etc.);

◦    PRPA-science@pasteur.fr: for specific questions related to science and laboratories.

Resources for people at risk of developing severe forms of COVID-19
* Decree no. 2020-1365 of November 10, 2020
** Link to October 29 HCSP opinion
Press release from the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Economic Inclusion about the procedures for dealing with vulnerable people at risk of developing severe forms of COVID-19