Key Points

In Week 21 (May 22–28, 2023), emergency departments saw an increase in visits and hospitalizations following visits among children aged 2–14 (up 11% and 9%, respectively, or 5,748 more visits and 365 more hospitalizations) and in visits among adults (up 5%, or 12,667 more visits).

Regarding seasonal indicators, there was an increase in visits for insect bites (+26%, or +126 visits), heatstroke (86 visits in S21 vs. 23 in S20), allergies among those aged 15–74 and 2–14 (respectively +17% and +13%, or +214 and +63 visits), as well as for general malaise among adults and those aged 2–14 (respectively +14% and +39%, or +1,263 and +152 visits).

Among children, there was also an increase in visits for abdominal pain (+14%, or 319 visits) and neurological conditions (+16%, or 113 visits), as well as a continued rise in conjunctivitis cases (+47%, or 275 visits). More specifically, among children under 2 years of age, there was an increase in visits for respiratory conditions (bronchiolitis (+10%), asthma (+6%), and suspected COVID-19 (+15%)) and for urinary tract infections (+13%).

Among adults, there was also an increase in visits for isolated fever (+14%, or +131 visits), asthma among those aged 15–74 (+22%, or +182 visits), and for cardiac decompensation among those aged 75 and older (+6%, or +75 visits).

Finally, although the numbers are smaller, there was an increase in visits for suicide attempts among those aged 65 and older and among children (up 37% and 24%, respectively).