Key points

Bronchiolitis

• Bronchiolitis-related activity is declining in Week 2: to 9.7% (vs. 15.2% in Week 1) of emergency department visits, and to 2.7% (vs. 5.9%) of SOS Médecins calls. It is lower than in the previous two winters.

• The rate of bronchiolitis hospitalizations among all coded hospitalizations decreased this week (21% vs. 37% in Week 1).

Influenza

• Influenza activity has decreased slightly in Week 2, though its impact remains significant: 5.6% of influenza cases (vs. 6.0% in Week 1) among emergency department visits and 24.5% (vs. 24.9% in Week 1) among SOS Médecins calls.

• The rate of flu-related hospitalizations among all coded hospitalizations decreased slightly this week (6.9% vs. 5.7% in Week 1).

• The number of flu-related emergency department visits among children under 15 increased slightly from January 10 to 12, with 50 or more visits per day.

• There is a downward trend in viral circulation in the community (28.1% in Week 02 vs. 32.5% in Week 1) and an upward trend in hospitals (23.5% in Week 02 vs. 16.8% in Week 1—see pages 6 and 7). Nationally, there is co-circulation of the A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B/Victoria viruses.

COVID-19

• The SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to circulate at low levels (see pages 6 and 7), as in other regions. The proportion of cases handled by SOS Médecins and emergency departments for suspected COVID-19 remains low.