Key Points

COVID-19

Recombination events between two different SARS-CoV-2 variants represent major genetic divergence events. Since February 18, 2022, a Delta/Omicron recombinant (to which no lineage name has yet been assigned) has been under enhanced surveillance by Santé publique France and the CNR Virus des infections respiratoires. The majority of its genome corresponds to the Delta variant (sublineage AY.4), but a large portion of the S gene (encoding the spike protein) corresponds to the Omicron variant (sublineage BA.1). As of March 2, 18 sequences of this recombinant had been detected in France.

Influenza and Influenza-Like Illness

The region has been in an epidemic phase for 11 weeks. After an increase in late December, indicators declined in early January and have since stabilized at a high level. Children under 15 remain particularly affected.

Acute gastroenteritis

• In hospital settings, according to data reported by emergency departments to the Oscour® network, gastroenteritis activity was high in week 08-2022. The proportion of visits across all age groups and among children under 5 years of age for a diagnosis of gastroenteritis remained stable compared to the previous week, but the number of patients treated decreased. In week 08-2022, 645 visits for gastroenteritis were recorded (including 446 for patients under 5 years of age), representing 2.3% of all visits (versus 692 visits in week 07).

• In private practice, according to data from the SOS Médecins associations in Nîmes, Montpellier, and Perpignan (SOS Toulouse excluded from the analysis due to missing data since 02/16), gastroenteritis activity was moderate in week 08-2022. Procedures for all ages and for children under 5 years of age for a diagnosis of gastroenteritis were down compared to the previous week. In week 08-2022, 161 procedures for this diagnosis were recorded, representing 7.5% of the overall activity of the SOS Médecins associations (versus 210 procedures in week 07).