Key Points

COVID-19

• Emergency department activity related to COVID-19 remains low and is in line with levels observed during the same period in previous years. Activity among SOS Médecins organizations is also low. According to the virology laboratory at Rennes University Hospital, SARS-CoV-2 circulation is low.

Bronchiolitis (Under 1 year)

• Non-epidemic activity. Activity related to bronchiolitis remains low in hospital emergency departments, with emergency department visit rates lower than those of previous years during the same period. The virology laboratory at Rennes University Hospital detects RSV sporadically among the respiratory specimens analyzed. Other viruses capable of causing bronchiolitis are circulating, notably rhinoviruses.

Influenza and Influenza-Like Illness

• Non-epidemic activity. The monitored indicators for influenza and influenza-like illness have remained low and stable over the past few weeks in hospital emergency departments. Detection of influenza A virus remains low but consistent among respiratory specimens tested at the virology laboratory at Rennes University Hospital over the past several weeks.

Asthma

• In S45, there has been an increase in visits to hospital emergency departments for asthma, particularly among children under 5 years of age.

Gastroenteritis

• Moderate activity. A marked increase in visits to hospital and community emergency departments has been observed among children. The virology laboratory at the Rennes University Hospital has detected several enteric viruses in Week 45.

ENT Conditions

• In emergency departments, there was a decrease in the number of visits for ENT conditions across all age groups compared to S44, affecting children under 5 and those aged 15–74. Children under 5 accounted for 57% of visits, and ENT conditions accounted for 11.8% of coded diagnoses for this age group. At SOS Médecins, children under 5 accounted for 29% of consultations for ENT conditions, which made up 48.2% of all consultations for this age group.
• The detection rate for rhinoviruses and enteroviruses has decreased compared to the previous week, according to the Virology Laboratory at Rennes University Hospital (positivity rate of 9%, 9/105).

Emergency Room Visits and SOS Médecins Consultations

• There was an increase in the number of emergency department visits (+1.7%) and SOS Médecins consultations (+3.8%) for all causes during Week 45, compared to Week 44. The volumes of emergency department visits and SOS Médecins consultations (all causes) fell within the usual range of fluctuation for Week 45. Among those aged 65 and older, volumes remained higher than in previous years for both sources.