Key Points

COVID-19

• In Week 04, epidemic surveillance indicators show mixed trends in the Normandy region.

• The incidence rate is rising in the Eure department, falling in Seine-Maritime and Manche, and remaining stable in Orne and Calvados. The positivity rate is lower than in the previous week.

• In hospitals, there has been a decrease in the number of new hospitalizations; however, the total number of people hospitalized for Covid-19 continues to rise.

• The number of new admissions to intensive care is rising, resulting in an increase in the total number of people hospitalized in intensive care for COVID-19.

• Specific monitoring of severe COVID-19 cases admitted to intensive care during the second wave indicated a high proportion of men (71%), people aged 65 and older (61%), and cases with at least one underlying condition (94%), the most common of which were high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

• The effective reproduction number, which reflects the rate of spread, is decreasing but remains slightly above 1. Prevention measures and social distancing remain the primary means of curbing the circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and reducing its impact on the healthcare system and mortality.

• The vaccination campaign continues for people over 75, vulnerable individuals, and healthcare workers. As of February 2, 111,228 people had received at least one dose in the Normandy region, representing a vaccination coverage rate of 3.1%.

Bronchiolitis

In Week 4, bronchiolitis activity remains lower than in previous years. Eight new RSV cases were isolated in hospitalized patients by laboratories at Normandy university hospitals. Current respiratory infections are primarily caused by rhinoviruses.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis activity is on the rise. The incidence of acute diarrhea estimated by the Sentinelles network is increasing sharply and has reached, for the first time this season, a level comparable to that of the same period in the past two years.