Summary

What is currently known about the situation in the Grand Est region?

The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded in week 09-2020 (February 24–March 1), and the peak of the outbreak occurred in week 13-2020 (March 23–29), with 4,116 emergency room visits for suspected COVID-19 (six times the activity typically seen for influenza and flu-like illness during the peak week of a typical flu season) and 1,494 consultations at the region’s five SOS Médecins clinics. The number of hospital admissions for COVID-19 peaked in week 14 of 2020 (March 30–April 5) with 3,777 new hospitalizations, including 648 in intensive care units (compared to 471 ICU beds under normal conditions). That week, the region also recorded a record-high excess mortality across all medical causes, with a 116% increase in excess mortality compared to the same period in previous years. Since then, thanks to the general lockdown measures, all epidemiological surveillance indicators—COVID-19 activity in urban areas (SOS Médecins associations and general practitioners participating in the Sentinelles network) and in emergency departments, positive test rates in private and hospital medical laboratories, hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units for COVID-19, and COVID-19-related deaths reported by healthcare facilities—have trended downward. The first three weeks of reopening were nevertheless marked by a stagnation in the number of emergency room visits for suspected Covid-19, a slight increase in Covid-19 activity among SOS Médecins associations, while several clusters of cases were identified in the region.

What’s new in this Update for the region?

Three weeks after the lifting of lockdown measures, viral circulation continues to slow, and pressure on the healthcare system is easing further. According to the Screening Information System (SI-DEP), which has been gradually ramping up since May 13, 402 new cases of Covid-19 were biologically confirmed in the region during week 22 of 2020 (May 25–31), compared to 612 the previous week. While the regional weekly incidence rate (7.3 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants) remains higher than the national rate (5.4 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants), it has decreased significantly compared to the previous week (11.1 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a decrease of 34%). In week 22 of 2020, all departments in the region had a weekly incidence rate below the threshold of 10 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with the exception of Haut-Rhin (10 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants). With the exception of Aube and Marne, all departments also saw their weekly incidence rate decline compared to week 21 of 2020.
After several weeks of stagnation, the number of emergency room visits and the number of SOS Médecins consultations for suspected Covid-19 have once again declined significantly compared to the previous week, by 38% and 32%, respectively. Covid-19 cases still account for 1.6% of total activity in the region’s emergency departments and 4% of total activity across the five SOS Médecins associations.
In hospitals, new Covid-19 hospitalizations continue to be recorded: 306 for week 22 of 2020 (compared to 387 the previous week, a 21% decrease), including 43 in intensive care units compared to 55 the previous week (a 22% decrease).
As of June 3, 2020, 37 clusters or episodes of grouped cases have been identified since May 11 and have been investigated. The majority of these are in medical facilities for the elderly. No uncontrolled community spread (occurrence of new cases outside the facility and linked to the cluster) has been reported. For all of these clusters, control measures are in place, and high vigilance is maintained regarding the risk of spread.