The seasonal flu epidemic has been raging in Burgundy-Franche-Comté since December 8, 2024. A situation which continues to deteriorate at the beginning of January: at the Dijon hospital (Côte-d'Or), no less than 250 patients are affected by a respiratory infection.
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At the start of the week, the Dijon University Hospital (Côte-d'Or) made it compulsory for patients and visitors to wear masks. For good reason: the flu epidemic which has affected Burgundy-Franche-Comté – and all of France – since the beginning of December 2024.
“Currently, we are in the epidemic phase of viral acute respiratory infections.“, explains Doctor Karine Astruc, head of the hygiene department at Dijon University Hospital. “It is essentially the flu virus which is prevalent and which is in the majority since the start of the epidemic four weeks ago. We are still on the rise.“
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The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is also prevalent, particularly responsible for bronchiolitis in newborns and infections in the elderly. If the epidemic phase is still relevant for bronchiolitis in almost all of France, “we are rather on a downward phase“, underlines Doctor Astruc. At the same time, Covid is also circulating, but in a “fairly moderate and stable over time“.
Children under 15 years old remain the most affected by the flu epidemic. A “sharp increase in hospitalizations among people aged 65 and over” is also noted, according to the latest information bulletin from Public Health France. In the region, the positivity rate stood at 31% during the last week of December.
The influenza virus is currently in an epidemic phase in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
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© ROMAIN LIBOZ / FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS
“We see a very significant use of emergencies, both for adults and children.“, explains Doctor Astruc. “In the last two weeks, we have had 250 patients hospitalized with respiratory viruses. Most returned to the hospital for this reason, or for the decompensation of a cardio-respiratory pathology due to these viruses.“
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To deal with the spread of viruses, the University Hospital made it compulsory on December 31 for patients and visitors to wear masks. A measure which, however, is not abnormal: “we have been taking it for several years“, indicates Doctor Corinne Calard, general care coordinator. “It’s a well-established measure, professionals are used to it.“
For the moment, wearing a mask within the establishment remains compulsory until further notice. A “reassessment of the measure” will take place at the end of January. Last year, it only ended at the beginning of March.
