The author identifies several weak points in the discourse of Quebec Public Health regarding the prevention of COVID, particularly with regard to vaccination and the spread of the virus.

Grandmother Germaine liked to tell stories. I often fell asleep next to her, lulled by the adventures of Tom Thumb. She also liked to sprinkle our days with a lot of advice, and it was only later that I realized they were also grandmother’s stories. How many times has she repeated to me: “Put your hat on, you’re going to catch a cold!” While studying medicine, I quickly understood that wearing my hat wouldn’t prevent me from catching a virus!

My grandmother passed away a long time ago, but others have taken over and in turn tell a grandmother’s stories. Take, for example, Quebec Public Health: in 2025, it continues to repeat to us to wash our hands to avoid catching COVID. While it is true that washing the hands helps prevent other infections (such as gastroenteritis), this measure is not effective in protecting oneself from COVID.