Key Points

• In Week 36 (September 2–8, 2024), emergency department visits increased among children, particularly those aged 2–14 (+6.5%, or +3,341 visits). In this age group, hospitalizations following a visit also rose (+7.8%, or +351 hospitalizations). Visits and hospitalizations following visits remain stable among adults.

• During this back-to-school week, there was a marked increase in visits for asthma attacks among children (+98%, or +1,104 cases) and, to a lesser extent, among adults (+19%, or +206 visits). The share of activity remains comparable to that of previous years for the same week among children (3.4% of all visits) and is slightly higher among adults (0.5%).

• Among other respiratory indicators, there has been an increase in visits for ENT conditions among children (+6%, or +313 visits), and, among 2- to 14-year-olds in small sample sizes, for suspected COVID-19 (+39%, or +19 visits) and for cough (+12%, or +57 visits). After two weeks of decline, visits for whooping cough have stabilized among children and remain stable among adults.

• Additionally, there was an increase in visits:

  • among children: for nonspecific abdominal pain (+11%, or +237 visits) and among children under 2 years of age for vomiting (+9%, or +33 visits),

  • among adults (75 years or older) for chest pain (+7%, or +109 visits).