Key points

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

• In hospitals: the rate of emergency department visits for acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) was on the rise, accounting for 9.8% of total activity (+1.1 percentage points). However, the number of emergency department visits for ALRTIs decreased slightly, with 6,717 visits (–4%), a decline likely linked to year-end vacation departures.

• In the community: at SOS Médecins, the number of procedures decreased to 4,307 (-8%). The activity rate for lower respiratory tract infections stabilized at around 30% (+0.6 percentage points)

Bronchiolitis

• In hospitals, activity related to bronchiolitis was down compared to S51. The number of hospitalizations following an emergency department visit for bronchiolitis was down.

• In private practice, the number of consultations for bronchiolitis increased for SOS Médecins associations.

• Virology: RSV detection rates were decreasing in community laboratories.

• Epidemic level: Bronchiolitis-related activity levels were down for week 52 and continued to remain at a level comparable to last season. The Île-de-France region is on epidemic alert for the tenth week.

Influenza and influenza-like illness

• All ages combined: the number of visits for influenza-like illness stabilized in emergency departments and decreased in private practice (SOS Médecins data). However, the proportion of influenza-related activity and the number of hospitalizations following emergency department visits continued to rise.

• Among those aged 65 and older: demand for care continued to rise in this age group, with an increase in the number of visits to healthcare providers (+32%) and the number of hospitalizations following a visit to the emergency room (+33%). Those aged 65 and older alone accounted for 60% of hospitalizations for flu-like illness following a visit to the emergency room.

• The Île-de-France region was on epidemic alert for the fifth consecutive week.

COVID-19

• SOS Médecins: The number of cases involving suspected COVID-19 decreased among those under 65 and remained stable among those aged 65 and older. Case numbers remained low.

• Emergency room visits: the number of emergency room visits for suspected COVID-19 decreased among those under 15 and remained stable in other age groups. Case numbers remained low.

• SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: In week 52, an overall trend toward stabilization in SARS-CoV-2 circulation in wastewater was observed in the Île-de-France region. All monitored stations had interpretable results.