Key Points

COVID-19

• In the Pays de la Loire region, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, which began rising again in Week 22, continued to intensify in Week 25. Hospital indicators, after stabilizing, have also shown a marked upward trend since Week 24.

• In Week 25, the regional incidence rate reached 712 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a 61% increase compared to the previous week. The testing rate showed a smaller increase (+39%), and the positivity rate also continued to rise sharply (+5 percentage points). The increase in virological indicators was again observable in all departments of the region and across all age groups, with the largest increase observed among those aged 15–45, followed by those under 15.

• Regarding healthcare utilization, the number of emergency room visits for suspected COVID-19 and the number of SOS Médecins calls for the same reason have also seen a more pronounced increase over the past two weeks. New hospitalizations have also risen sharply since Week 24. New admissions to intensive care and deaths among patients with SARS-CoV-2 have also shown a slight upward trend more recently, though numbers remain moderate at this stage and the overall caseload is relatively low.

Extreme heat, heat wave

Between June 15 and 19, 2022, the region was hit by a particularly early heat wave that affected all departments in the Pays de la Loire region (Météo-France website). The Vendée was placed under a red alert during this heatwave. A moderate increase in healthcare utilization for heat-related conditions was observed in the region during this period.

• Learn more: Heatwave monitoring in the Pays-de-la-Loire region, update as of June 21, 2022

Enterovirus Infections

• In the region, a few cases of healthcare utilization (emergency room visits and SOS Médecins calls) for suspected enterovirus meningitis have been recorded since S23. However, no significant increase has been observed so far.

Chikungunya, dengue, Zika

• 1 case in Loire-Atlantique since May 1, 2022.