Flu epidemic: virus still widespread in France

Almost the entire mainland and part of the Overseas region were affected. The seasonal flu epidemic remains widespread in France while the incidence of bronchiolitis continues to decline, the public health agency said on Wednesday.

The week of January 8 to 14 saw the circulation of influenza viruses remain “at a high level, despite a decrease in positivity rates in the city and in hospitals,” the French Ministry of Health summarized in its weekly bulletin on acute respiratory infections. At the hospital, emergency room rates increased only among children ages 0-4, but this development “may also be seen in other age groups in the coming weeks,” according to the agency.

Of mainland France, only Brittany and Normandy are not yet completely affected by the flu epidemic. However, they should be followed while being in the pre-epidemic phase up to this point. Overseas, Guyana and Guadeloupe remain in the epidemic phase, while Martinique remains in the pre-epidemic phase. The epidemic in Mayotte is over.

The number of Covid-19 cases is falling

While influenza is still widespread, bronchiolitis, which mainly affects infants, continues to decline. “SOS Médecins, emergency department visits and hospitalizations following visits for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years of age decreased” for a sixth week, French Public Health noted. While four mainland regions are still affected by bronchiolitis (Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Corsica, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), seven are no longer considered epidemic zones.

As for Covid-19, the virus continues to circulate actively, but the decline observed over several weeks continues, both in public health and in hospitals. Overall, “the circulation of respiratory viruses remains at a high level, despite the decrease in hospitals observed for SARS-CoV-2 and RSV,” the health department noted.

In this context, in addition to insisting on vaccination of people most at risk against flu and Covid, the French Public Health Authority repeated its call to respect “the wearing of a mask in case of symptoms, in busy places and in the presence of vulnerable people.” , hand washing and regular ventilation of enclosed spaces.” Just under a third of French people aged 65 and over have received a booster vaccination against Covid since the start of the autumn campaign. And a third of Covid jabs for older people have been given at the same time as flu jabs since the second campaign opened.