Cases of Covid-19 are increasing in Chaumont without reaching the dimensions known during the health crisis. They can also be confused with the flu which has entered its epidemic phase. In any case, viruses are very present at the end of the year.
It is no longer a subject on the front pages of the newspapers but it circulates quietly. Covid-19 is certainly less present than in 2020 and 2021 but it still exists and can often be confused with the flu. Severe headaches, high fever accompanied by severe pain and loss of sense of smell are some of the symptoms. Who in their family or among their colleagues and friends does not have a sick loved one at the end of the year?
Difficult distinction between flu and Covid
The distinction between flu and Covid can only be made with nasal tests. Everyone goes there back for their unpleasant side but, precisely, the pharmacists of Chaumont notice an increase in requests. One of them details: “few requests at the beginning of December then a surge in mid-December with one in two cases of Covid”. Around Christmas, the flu took over again knowing that, as pharmacists say, “this period is conducive to the spread of viruses”.
Among Chaumontais doctors, visits follow one another and places on Doctolib are rare. The reasons remain to be seen: practitioners’ holidays or a resurgence of illnesses knowing that the whole of France is in an influenza epidemic phase? It began by affecting children under 15 and now particularly affects the elderly.
No shock at the hospital
One thing is certain. Covid or flu, the consequences are less significant than those experienced during the health crisis. At Chaumont hospital, the administrative duty cell during this week did not note a surge in reports or an increase in activity. In other words, people who are victims of Covid are not necessarily hospitalized. Clearly, the beds are not saturated.
Despite everything, faced with this generalized epidemic phase of the flu and with this Covid circulating quietly, all health professionals advise getting vaccinated. Pharmacists, doctors and hospital staff place particular emphasis on the most fragile people who are at risk of serious forms of these two diseases. They target individuals over 65, pregnant women or the immunocompromised. For health professionals, these vaccinations will be effective within 15 days while the epidemic phase will still be in force. The timing is still good for them.
Frédéric Thévenin
