Barely opened, already filled. The Lisieux hospital (Calvados) welcomes eight patients victims of the flu epidemic in its dedicated seasonal unit, open this Thursday, January 2. “Just after Christmas, the number of patients admitted to the Emergency Department for the flu increased, as well as hospitalizations and cases placed in intensive care,” explains Nicolas Bougaut, the director. The emergency room was overflowing. » With 35 hospitalized with the flu in the very last days of 2024, we reached figures worthy of Covid.
In accordance with medical governance, management therefore opened this eight-bed seasonal unit. An exceptional provision that we have not seen, again, since Covid. This season, the flu is “blistering, during the period of family reunions and during the holidays, where we have fewer staff,” explains Nicolas Bougaut. A doctor is at the bedside of these patients, as well as a nurse and a caregiver, day and night. In the seasonal unit, stays are estimated at three to four days of hospitalization on average.
Unsurprisingly, the epidemic hits vulnerable people harder. The director makes another observation: “A majority of hospitalized patients are not vaccinated. And none of those in intensive care are.” While the flu vaccination campaign continues until the end of January, Nicolas Bougaut recalls that the vaccine reduces the viral load and the most virulent symptoms. The very ones which, coupled with existing pathologies, “require care” for some.
The epidemic peak would have passed according to trends. But the flu is circulating and the hospital will maintain its unit until further notice. It will provide him with some lessons as the establishment considers the creation of a new post-Emergency unit, an “intermediate level” of care between short and long admissions. Until then, the structure must pass this critical episode, with an Emergency department fortunately repopulated over the last two years although still a little limited in terms of staff.
