Key Points

• End of the heat wave: On Wednesday, August 8, no departments were under an orange heat wave alert, and 7 were under a yellow alert. The day before, on Tuesday, August 7, 46 departments were under an orange heat wave alert across 8 regions, and 32 departments were under a yellow alert. Two days prior, on Monday, August 6, 67 departments were under an orange heat wave alert across 9 regions, and 18 departments were under a yellow alert.

• This heatwave, which began on July 24, lasted 16 days. It was the longest heatwave recorded since 2006. This factor must be taken into account, given that duration and intensity are key determinants of morbidity and mortality.

• Not all regions were affected in the same way. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes was the region most severely and persistently affected.

• Since Sunday, July 29, there has been a steady increase in emergency room visits and SOS Médecins consultations for heat-related illnesses (HRI), with a peak in activity on Friday, August 3, and Saturday, August 4.

• In emergency departments, between Friday, August 3, and Tuesday, August 7, across the nine affected regions, the proportion of heat-related illnesses in overall emergency department activity appears to have stabilized at around 1% for all age groups. For those aged 75 and older, the proportion of heat-related illnesses is around 3.5%.

• For SOS Médecins, between Friday, August 3, and Monday, August 6, the share of PLCs in overall activity increased steadily. On Monday, August 6, the share of PLCs in SOS Médecins activity was 2.8% across all age groups and reached as high as 6.5% among those aged 75 and older. On Tuesday, August 7, the share of PLCs in SOS Médecins’ overall activity appears to have begun to decline (2.3%) (a trend to be confirmed in the coming days as data is consolidated).

• The proportion of hospitalizations due to acute respiratory infections has stabilized (accounting for half of all admissions across all age groups, and around 75–80% for those aged 75 and older).