Summary

In week 34 (August 17–23, 2020), emergency department visits and hospitalizations following visits decreased slightly across all age groups (by 4.4%, or 19,689 visits, and 3.7%, or 2,526 hospitalizations, respectively, for all ages). Over the past week, the number of visits across all age groups for suspected COVID-19 increased by 14% (i.e., +302 visits) for the third consecutive week (2,498 vs. 2,196 visits in Week 33—consolidated data as of August 25, 2020). This increase is observed primarily among adults aged 15–74 (+20%, or +262 admissions) and more specifically among those aged 15–44, who account for 52% of COVID-19 admissions. The share of COVID-19 visits in total activity across all age groups has risen slightly (0.9% in Week 34 vs. 0.7% in Week 33), while the proportion of hospitalizations following visits has decreased (30% in Week 34 vs. 33% in Week 33). The increase is observed in several regions. The PACA and Occitanie regions show the most significant increases (83% and 53%, respectively, or 152 and 61 visits). Of all visits for suspected COVID-19, 31% were recorded in Île-de-France and 13% in PACA. Since the start of surveillance on February 24, 2020, 185,980 emergency department visits for suspected COVID-19 have been recorded. Seasonal and non-specific indicators are declining or stable across all age groups. Among the most common conditions, the only notable trends are slight increases in visits for: - gastrointestinal conditions and skin/subcutaneous infections among 2- to 14-year-olds (up 5.4% and 4.9%, respectively); - cardiac decompensation and chest pain among people aged 75 and older (up 6.2% and 4%, respectively). It should be noted that visits for bronchiolitis among children under 2 years of age appeared in week 34, ranking 9th among the 10 most common conditions (152 visits).