Acute respiratory infections are all the rage this Christmas period. Increasing activity in the city and in hospitals in all age groups, driven mainly by cases of influenza, which has reached the epidemic threshold throughout the country, according to the latest bulletin of Public health France (SPF).
Sharp increase in flu indicators in towns and hospitals
The confectioners' truce clearly does not apply to doctors this year, according to the latest figures from SPF. All flu indicators increased sharply in France the week before Christmas in all age groups, in the city and in hospitals, with active co-circulation of the A(H1N1)pdm09 and B viruses. /Victoria. Children under 15 are the most affected in town and in hospitals, “but a marked increase in visits to emergency rooms and hospitalizations among people aged 65 and over was observed,” note the epidemiologists.
Influenza indicators increased significantly in community medicine in week 51 (December 16 to 22, 2024), which saw the rate of consultations for all ages combined for influenza syndrome increase to 347 per 100,000 inhabitants. [IC95% : 338-356] (unconsolidated data) vs 235 per 100,000 inhabitants [228-242] the previous week. Knowing that, among patients seen in general medicine consultations for an acute respiratory infection, the incidence rate of confirmed influenza cases was estimated at 180 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. [IC95% : 156 – 204] vs 76 [63 – 89] in S50. If the increase concerned all age groups, it remains less marked among those aged 65 and over (+1.9 pts) compared to children under 5 years old (+4.6 pts), from 5 to 14 years old (+6.6 pts) and people aged 15 to 64 (+4.4 pts).
This sharp increase in the number of cases also resulted in an increasing number of hospitalizations after influenza-related illness, standing at 1,659, or 2.3% of all hospitalizations (vs. 1.1% in S50). Finally, the share of deaths with a mention of influenza among electronically certified deaths increased significantly in S51 (2% vs. 0.9% in S50).
RSV infection: decreasing syndromic indicators
The good news is to be found on the side of RSV infection with a reduction in the syndromic indicators of bronchiolitis in the city and in the hospital in W51. This could suggest that the epidemic peak has been reached – observation to be confirmed in the coming weeks. “The epidemic continues to follow a dynamic similar to those of the epidemics preceding the Covid-19 pandemic, with an intensity at a low level compared to these previous epidemics,” notes SPF. However, the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) positivity rate has started to decrease in hospitals, but is increasing in community medicine. In France, all regions are in epidemic except Corsica, which went into pre-epidemic in S51. In the DROMs, Réunion has been in a pre-epidemic since S50, Guadeloupe and Martinique have been in an epidemic since S43 and Guyana has been in an epidemic since the end of July (S31). In Mayotte, the bronchiolitis epidemic began in S49 and was ongoing at the time of Cyclone Chido.
Covid-19: stable indicators
Concerning Covid-19, syndromic indicators remained generally stable in town and in hospital compared to the previous week. Among patients seen in general medicine consultation for an acute respiratory infection in week 51, the incidence rate of Covid-19 cases was estimated at 19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants vs. 17 in W50. The positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 among samples tested in city laboratories and taken by city doctors decreased in S51 compared to the previous week, but increased in the hospital.
Remember that the distinction between these three pathologies can now be made using a self-test available in pharmacies, but that vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against the flu and Covid-19, in particular serious forms of these diseases. .
