Summary

Situation in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

With the first confirmed case on February 26, 2020, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (BFC) was one of the first regions in France to face the COVID-19 epidemic. The major impact of this epidemic on the population—and in particular on the most vulnerable, including the elderly—shows geographical disparities that reflect the intensity of the virus’s spread prior to the implementation of general lockdown measures on March 17, 2020. In week 17 (April 20–26, 2020), the trend was downward for several indicators of healthcare utilization, both in outpatient settings and in hospitals. The region experienced a significant excess of all-cause mortality across all age groups for six weeks, from Week 12 (March 16–22, 2020) to Week 17 (April 20–26, 2020), with a peak in Week 14 (March 30–April 5).

Observed trends

In week 23 (June 1–7, 2020) and for the tenth consecutive week, the number of SOS Médecins calls and emergency room visits for suspected COVID-19 remains low. The circulation of the virus in long-term care facilities (including nursing homes) in the region has been limited for the past month*. Mortality in week 22 is comparable to that of previous years. At this stage of the epidemic, 1,031 deaths in hospitals have been recorded.

* 80% of cases have been subject to a final assessment. We thank our partners for their contribution to this work.

Virological Surveillance

Virological surveillance has been based on the SI-DEP system (screening information system) since May 13, 2020, with a gradual ramp-up. This surveillance system aims to comprehensively track all patients tested in France in private and hospital laboratories.