Key points

Bronchiolitis

• In hospitals, the number of emergency department visits for bronchiolitis and visits followed by hospitalization has stabilized compared to week 47. Children under one year of age accounted for 92% of emergency department visits for bronchiolitis among children under two years of age and 98% of visits followed by hospitalization.

• Decrease in calls to SOS Médecins for bronchiolitis among children under two years of age.

Flu-like syndromes and acute respiratory infections

• The number of healthcare visits for flu-like symptoms continued to rise in community settings (SOS Médecins) as well as in hospitals. The number of visits increased by more than 56% in community settings and by 52% in emergency departments. The increase in visits was most pronounced in the under-15 age group, with a rise of 75% in community settings and 89% in emergency departments. The number of hospitalizations following visits to the emergency room, however, remained stable across all age groups.

COVID-19

• SOS Médecins: In S48, a slight increase in the number of procedures for COVID-19 across all age groups. A more pronounced increase among children under 15 (30 procedures in S48 vs. 11 in S47).

• Emergency department visits: In Week 48, the number of visits for COVID-19 stabilized across all age groups. The number of visits followed by hospitalization also stabilized.

• Clusters of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in long-term care facilities: In Week 47, there was an increase in the number of ARI episodes with a COVID-19 diagnosis reported by long-term care facilities (primarily nursing homes).

• SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: the level of circulation continued to show a downward trend in Week 48.

• The XEC recombinant, whose share among circulating variants has been increasing since its emergence, accounted for 36% of strains isolated and typed in France in weeks 45 and 46.

Acute gastroenteritis

• Increase in the number of SOS Médecins calls for acute gastroenteritis across all age groups (+10%), with a more pronounced increase among those under 15 (+13%), particularly among those under 5 (+20%). Consultations for children under 5 accounted for 52% of consultations for those under 15 and 20% of total consultations for acute gastroenteritis. The proportion of SOS Médecins calls was higher than in the previous two years. Indicators in the Sentinelles network remained stable.

• Increase in emergency department visits and visits followed by hospitalization for GEA across all age groups and among those under 15. The proportion of visits for GEA was similar to the previous two years.

• Low activity levels in SOS Médecins associations and in hospital emergency departments.