Key Points

Every year, during the two weeks following the start of the school year, there is a spike in emergency care visits for asthma among children under 15.

In mainland France, the school year began on Thursday, September 2, 2021; Santé Publique France conducts weekly monitoring based on data from the OSCOUR® and SOS Médecins networks.

Update as of September 19, 2021:

• In week 37 (September 13–19, 2021) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the number of emergency room visits and the number of SOS Médecins consultations for asthma among children under 15 increased for the second consecutive week, accounting for 5.4% and 3.4% of total activity, respectively. The trends observed are comparable to those seen during the same period in the previous three years. Nearly 54% of visits were followed by hospitalization (compared to 59% the previous week).

• Nationally, asthma-related visits to emergency rooms and SOS Médecins clinics continue to rise among children, accounting for nearly 4.0% of total emergency room activity and 2.3% of total SOS Médecins activity. In emergency rooms, 33% of visits result in hospitalization. The increases observed remain comparable to those of the previous three years.