Key Points

• In week 48 (November 28–December 4, 2022), emergency department visits continued to rise slightly across all age groups, with the increase most pronounced among children (+7%, or 7,860 visits) and those aged 75 and older (+6%, or 2,916 visits). Hospitalizations following emergency department visits rose slightly among those aged 75 and older (+6%, or +1,506 hospitalizations).

• Visits related to respiratory indicators are stable or declining among children, except for influenza/flu-like illness (+96%), cough (+21%), and ENT conditions (+18%). There was also an increase in visits for isolated fever (+18%) and gastroenteritis (+17%, though levels remain well below those of previous years). Regarding bronchiolitis in children under 2 years of age, the number of visits stabilized this week (+4%), though it remains at levels significantly higher than in previous years.

• Among adults, all respiratory indicators are on the rise: influenza/flu-like illness (+95%), acute bronchitis (+34%), ENT conditions (+27%), pneumonia (+18%), and asthma (+16%).Visits for suspected COVID-19 are up for the third consecutive week across all age groups (+29% across all ages) but to a lesser extent among 2- to 14-year-olds.

• Also noteworthy is a renewed increase in visits for conjunctivitis, more pronounced among children (+46%) than among adults (+17%).