Key Points

2019–2020 Flu Season Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

• 9 weeks of the epidemic (week 03-2020 to week 11-2020)

• 1.25 million visits for flu-like illness during the epidemic

• Co-circulation of the A(H1N1)pdm09 and B/Victoria viruses

• Nearly 60,000 emergency department visits for influenza, including 6,000 hospitalizations (10%) during the epidemic

• 860 severe cases admitted to intensive care reported (surveillance began in week 45-2019)

• 3,700 deaths attributable to influenza during the epidemic

• Vaccination coverage of 47.8% among at-risk individuals

Note that the 2019-2020 flu report published on October 13, 2020, has been updated to include final data on incidence rates of consultations for flu-like illness and virological surveillance in community practice (sources: Sentinelles-Inserm-Sorbonne University network/National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses, including influenza).