Key Points

• In Week 52 (December 25–31, 2023), the first week of the end-of-year holidays, emergency department visits increased among adults (+7%, or +19,385 visits) and among children under 2 years of age (+9%, or +2,844 visits). Hospitalizations following emergency room visits remained stable across all age groups.

• Most seasonal respiratory indicators are on the rise, with a more pronounced increase among adults. Notably, there was an increase in visits for:

  • influenza/flu-like illness and ENT conditions across all age groups (up 53% and 28%, respectively)

  • pneumonia and acute bronchitis among adults (up 27% and 42%, respectively) and children aged 2–14 (up 12% and 21%, respectively, at levels higher than the previous two seasons)

  • asthma attacks in adults (+30%), cough in children (+26%), and suspected COVID-19 in children under 2 years of age only (+22%).

• Also more pronounced and at levels significantly higher than in the previous two years among adults was the increase in visits related to digestive disorders: gastroenteritis across all age groups (+138% among adults and +16% among children), vomiting in adults (+59%) and children aged 2–14 (+20%), and abdominal pain in adults (+13%).

• Among other indicators, there was an increase in visits for conjunctivitis among children and those aged 75 and older (up 23% and 45%, respectively), and for urinary tract infections among adults (up 14%).