Key Points

COVID-19

• Increased circulation of SARS-CoV-2 at a high level, which is of great concern given the presence of more transmissible variants.

• Increase in the number of confirmed cases.

• Significant increase in hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units.

• As of January 27, 2021, 304 cases of infection with emerging variants had been recorded in France: 266 cases of the 20I/501Y.V1 variant (identified in the United Kingdom) and 38 cases of the 20H/501Y.V2 variant (identified in South Africa). No cases of the new 20J/501Y.V3 variant that emerged in Brazil have been identified in France. For the Centre-Val de Loire region, 16 cases of the UK variant have been confirmed: 8 in Eure-et-Loir, 4 in Loiret, 3 in Indre-et-Loire, and 1 in Indre. This count does not include any secondary or even tertiary cases identified during investigations that were not sequenced.

Week 03:

• SOS Médecins: Low activity, down compared to Week 02.

• Hospital emergency departments (Oscour®): Low activity, stable compared to Week 02.

• Laboratory Data (SIDEP®): Number of tests performed and positivity rate stable (7.4% vs. 7.2% in Week 02).

• COVID outbreaks in long-term care facilities: 34 reported outbreaks compared to 45 in Week 02.

• Hospital data: 402 new hospitalizations, an increase compared to the previous week (374 in Week 02).

• Since November 3, all departments in the Centre-Val de Loire region have been classified as “high” vulnerability.

Bronchiolitis

In week 03, activity related to bronchiolitis was stable at SOS Médecins and hospital emergency departments. Summary of available data:

• SOS Médecins: In week 03, the number of medical procedures for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years of age (n = 4) was stable compared to the previous week (n = 5). Bronchiolitis cases accounted for 2.6% of medical procedures, down from the previous week (4.5%). Activity related to bronchiolitis was lower than that observed in 2019–2020 and 2018–2019 during the same period.

• Oscour®: In week 03, the number of emergency department visits for bronchiolitis among children under 2 years of age (n = 12) remained stable compared to the previous week (n = 10). Bronchiolitis accounted for 2.8% of emergency department visits, a stable proportion compared to the previous week (3.0%). Activity related to bronchiolitis was significantly lower than that observed in 2019–2020 and 2018–2019 during the same period.

In week 03, 3 children were hospitalized for bronchiolitis, representing 6.4% of hospitalizations among children under 2 years of age.

Gastroenteritis

In week 03, activity related to gastroenteritis was on the rise at SOS Médecins and hospital emergency departments.

• SOS Médecins. Moderate activity level: In week 03, the number of medical procedures for gastroenteritis (n = 172) was up compared to the previous week (n = 132) and accounted for 7.0% of all medical procedures (5.9% in week 02). Activity related to gastroenteritis was lower than that observed in 2019–2020 and 2018–2019 during the same period. Among children under 5 years of age, activity related to gastroenteritis was stable compared to the previous week (7.1% vs. 7.1% in week 02).

• Oscour®. Low activity level: in week 03, the number of hospital emergency department visits for gastroenteritis (n = 89) was up compared to the previous week (n = 65) and accounted for 1.0% of coded visits (0.7% in week 02). Activity related to gastroenteritis was lower than that observed in 2019–2020 and 2018–2019 during the same period. Among children under 5 years of age, activity related to gastroenteritis was up compared to the previous week (6.2% vs. 4.2% in Week 02). In Week 03, the hospitalization rate was 22.5% (25.0% among children under 5 years of age), up from the previous week (7.5% (7.1% for those under 5) in Week 02), and gastroenteritis accounted for 1.5% of the total number of hospitalizations (0.4% in Week 02).

• Sentinel Network: In Week 03, the regional incidence rate of outpatient visits for acute diarrhea was estimated at 40 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval: [11–69]), down from the consolidated incidence rate for week 02 (49 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, 95% confidence interval: [27–71]).