Over the past week in the region:

• The region is in its seventh week of the flu epidemic. The past three weeks have been marked by very high circulation of the flu virus, primarily A(H3N2). During this period (weeks 5 to 7), SOS Médecins’ activity exceeded the 20% threshold for visits related to flu-like symptoms; the number of emergency room visits reached a level not seen in over five years; 55 cases of severe flu were hospitalized in intensive care; and 51 (provisional minimum figure) outbreaks of acute respiratory infections were reported in nursing homes. There has also been a 25% excess mortality rate among people over 85 years of age since early January, reaching 50% last week. Signs of improvement remain modest but should be bolstered by the school holidays, particularly after three weeks of plateauing.

• Ten hospitals in the region have activated their "hospital under strain" plan to cope with the increased demand for hospitalization. Given the saturation of healthcare facilities and the ongoing outbreaks in nursing homes, coupled with a high hospitalization rate, the situation will remain very strained. Recommendations for antiviral treatment of flu cases are regularly reiterated to nursing homes to reduce hospitalizations.

• There appears to be geographical variation in this trend, with the departments of Sarthe and Loire-Atlantique experiencing an earlier impact of the outbreak, while Vendée and Maine-et-Loire show a more recent development.