Key Points

COVID-19

In Occitanie, according to data available as of March 23, 2021, for week 11 of 2022, virological indicators were on the rise compared to the previous week: a positivity rate of 28.0% (versus 23.3% in week 10 of 2022, an increase of 4.7 percentage points), incidence rate of 826 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (compared to 585 in week 10-2022, an increase of 41%), and testing rate of 2,946 per 100,000 inhabitants compared to 2,508 in week 10, an increase of 18%. At the regional level, these three indicators were increasing across all age groups. It should be noted that the increases in incidence rates were more pronounced than those in testing rates across all age groups.

The effective reproduction number (R_e) estimated from regional SI-DEP data through March 19, 2022, was 1.25 (1.24–1.27), an increase compared to the previous week (0.94).

At the departmental level, an incidence rate exceeding 700 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was estimated for week 11 of 2022 in most departments (693 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Aude), with the highest levels estimated in Gers and Hautes-Pyrénées (over 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). The highest positivity rates were observed in the northern part of the region in Lozère, Aveyron, and Lot (above 35%). Virological indicators were on the rise in week 11 of 2022 in all departments compared to the previous week.

Overall, in week 11 of 2022, an increase in virological indicators was observed in all departments of Occitanie, as is also observed at the national level.

Influenza

The region has been in an epidemic phase for 14 weeks. Following an initial wave in late December followed by a high plateau, indicators are showing a marked increase this week in all departments. Nationally, indicators are rising sharply, and all metropolitan regions are in an epidemic phase. The A(H3N2) virus is becoming predominant over A(H1N1)pdm09.

Acute gastroenteritis

• Oscour® network: Gastroenteritis activity remained high in week 11 of 2022. Visits across all age groups for a diagnosis of gastroenteritis were down compared to the previous week. In week 11-2022, 540 visits for gastroenteritis were recorded (including 329 for patients under 5 years of age), representing 1.9% of all visits (versus 555 visits in week 10-2022, including 376 for patients under 5 years of age).

• SOS Médecins network: According to data from the SOS Médecins associations in Nîmes, Montpellier, and Perpignan (SOS Toulouse excluded from the analysis due to missing data since February 16), gastroenteritis activity was low in week 11 of 2022. Procedures for gastroenteritis diagnoses across all age groups were up compared to the previous week but down compared to the preceding weeks. In week 11 of 2022, 154 cases for this diagnosis were recorded (including 41 patients under 5 years of age), representing 6.5% of the overall activity of the SOS Médecins associations (versus 115 cases in week 10 of 2022, including 37 patients under 5 years of age).

• Sentinelles network: the incidence rate of acute diarrhea cases seen in general practice was 60 per 100,000 [28;92], down from the previous week (66 per 100,000).