Flu: epidemic intensifies, affecting entire mainland France

Pollution is increasing in France. According to a French public health bulletin published online this Wednesday, in all regions of mainland France the flu epidemic indicators are red.

The week of January 15 to 21 saw increased circulation of influenza viruses “with an increase in positivity rates in the city and hospitals.” Activity rates in public health and emergency departments have also increased,” the French Ministry of Health summarized in its weekly bulletin on acute respiratory infections.

In hospitals, the number of emergency department visits for influenza/influenza-like illnesses increased significantly (+61% in one week, to 7,546), as did the number of subsequent hospitalizations (+55% to 1,349).

Calls for barrier gestures

“In France, all regions were in epidemic after Brittany and Normandy entered the epidemic phase. In the overseas departments and regions, Guyana and Guadeloupe remained in the epidemic phase, Martinique entered the epidemic phase and Mayotte remained in the post-epidemic phase,” explains SPF.

If the flu has intensified, then bronchiolitis, which mainly affects infants, continues to decline. On mainland France, no region is in the epidemic phase, and four other regions have left it (Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Occitania, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Corsica).

“The number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations following bronchiolitis in children under 2 years of age continued to decline,” and “SOS Médecins medical procedures stabilized at a moderate level,” French Public Health noted. Abroad, bronchiolitis persists in Guadeloupe, Reunion and Mayotte; Martinique and Guyana are no longer considered an epidemic area.

As for Covid-19, the virus is still actively circulating, but the decline seen for several weeks in public medicine, in hospitals and even in wastewater has continued.

Implications: French public health calls “in the context of high circulation of various respiratory viruses” that “the systematic adoption by all of barrier gestures is essential, in particular the wearing of a mask in case of symptoms, in busy places and in the presence of vulnerable people. In addition, the institute reminds about vaccination against influenza and Covid-19.

Just under a third of French people aged 65 and over have received a Covid reminder 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.