Key Points

• In Week 46 (November 13–19, 2023), the second week back from school break, emergency room visits and hospitalizations increased among children under 15 (up 17% and 14%, respectively, or 14,236 visits and 1,278 hospitalizations), and remained stable among adults.

• Visits for influenza are up across all age groups (+13%, or 89 visits), as are visits for suspected COVID-19 (+13%, or 328 visits).

• Among children under 15, nearly all monitored indicators are on the rise:

  • respiratory conditions: pneumonia (+28%), bronchitis (+33%), asthma (+68%), ENT conditions (+30%), and bronchiolitis in children under 2 years of age (+35%);

  • gastrointestinal conditions: abdominal pain (+10%), and vomiting among 2- to 14-year-olds (+11%);

  • other conditions: isolated fever (+26%), cough (+37%), trauma and conjunctivitis in children aged 2–14 (up 12% and 10%, respectively), and malaise in children under 2 years of age (+15%).

• Among those aged 15–74, there was a slight increase in visits for gastroenteritis (+35%), asthma (+26%), and isolated fever (+15%). Among those aged 75 and older, nearly all indicators are declining.

• Regarding mental health indicators, visits for suicidal behavior were stable or declining across all age groups, but remained at levels slightly higher than in previous years among those under 15.