Key indicators

City-wide Monitoring

• SOS Médecins: In week 17 of 2020, Covid-19-related activity among SOS Médecins associations decreased for the fourth consecutive week: 279 consultations for suspected Covid-19, representing 8.3% of the total activity of the five SOS Médecins associations in the Grand Est region (compared to 408 consultations and 10.3% of activity in week 16 of 2020). However, the percentage of hospitalizations following a consultation rose slightly (9.7%) compared to previous weeks.

• Sentinelles Network: 106 (tele-)consultations for acute respiratory infections (ARI) per 100,000 inhabitants in week 17 of 2020, compared to 85 per 100,000 in week 16 of 2020; a slight increase compared to the previous week.

• Clinical laboratories (LBM) participating in the “3 Labs” surveillance network (Eurofins-Biomnis-Cerba): 6.5% of tests were positive in week 17 of 2020, compared to 15.3% in week 16 of 2020; this marks a decline for the fifth consecutive week.

• MBL (Surveillance by 12 laboratories—excluding the “3 Labs” surveillance): a dramatic increase in activity in week 17 of 2020, with nearly 9,000 tests performed. However, the proportion of positive tests continues to decline (37.6% in week 12 of 2020, compared to 17.1% in week 16 and 9.1% in week 17).

Surveillance in social and medical-social facilities, including medical and non-medical facilities for the elderly

• Since the start of the epidemic, 9,202 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 have been reported among residents and 5,422 among staff. With 8,248 cases among residents and 4,202 among staff, respectively, medical and non-medical care facilities for the elderly have been the hardest hit.

Hospital Surveillance

• Oscour® Network: In week 17 of 2020, 828 visits for suspected COVID-19 were recorded in emergency departments across the Grand Est region, representing 6% of total activity in these departments (compared to 1,196 visits and 9% of total activity in week 16 of 2020). Just over half of these emergency department visits for Covid-19 led to hospitalization; this proportion has remained stable since the start of the epidemic.

• Healthcare facilities: In week 17 of 2020, the number of new hospitalizations and new admissions to intensive care units decreased for the third consecutive week. The number of patients discharged home decreased for the second consecutive week.

• Hospital laboratories: 12.4% of tests were positive in week 17 of 2020 (compared to 17.7% in week 16 of 2020), marking a decline for the fourth consecutive week.

• Sentinel intensive care units: 47% of severe COVID-19 cases admitted to intensive care were aged 65 and older. 61% of cases had at least one known risk factor (32% had a heart condition, 22% had diabetes [type 1 or 2], and 21% had a lung condition [type 1 or 2]). 30% of severe COVID-19 cases died.

Mortality Surveillance

• Since March 1, 2020, the weekly number of deaths in healthcare facilities has been decreasing for the third consecutive week (-31.6%). These were primarily people aged 60 and older (96%); 86% were aged 70 and older.

• Since March 1, 2020, medical and non-medical facilities for the elderly have reported the deaths of 1,451 residents that occurred within these facilities.

• Excess mortality, across all age groups, has been observed at the regional level since week 11 of 2020. In week 16 of 2020, particularly high excess mortality was observed in the departments of Haut-Rhin (+59%), Meurthe-et-Moselle (+56%), and Moselle (+51%).

• In week 16 of 2020, only the Ardennes, Meuse, and Haute-Marne departments did not record excess mortality.