Key Points

• In Week 38 (September 16–22, 2024), emergency department visits increased across all age groups, with a more pronounced rise among children (+11%, or 8,116 visits, compared to +6%, or 14,271 visits, among adults). Hospitalizations following emergency department visits are up among children under 2 and adults aged 75 and older (15% and 7% increases, respectively, or 410 and 1,666 hospitalizations) and stable in other age groups.

• During the third week of the new school year, the increase in visits related to respiratory conditions continued. Notably, there was an increase in visits across all age groups for ENT conditions (+26%, or +3,024 visits), cough (+24%, or +533 visits), suspected COVID-19 (+61%, or +1,216 visits), and pneumonia among adults (+23%, or +824 visits). Among children under 2 years of age, the increase in visits for bronchiolitis continues (+60%, or +379 visits) at a level similar to the previous three years.

• Visits for asthma attacks are on the rise among adults and children under 2 years of age (up 26% and 13%, respectively, or 461 and 89 visits) and are stabilizing among 2- to 14-year-olds. The observed levels remain higher than in the previous three years.

• Among other indicators, there was an increase in visits for isolated fever across all age groups (+9%, or +383 visits), for conjunctivitis among adults (+11%, or +58 visits), and among children under 2 years of age (+14%, or +17 visits). There was also an increase in visits for urinary tract infections among adults (8.5%, or 428 more visits) and for cardiac decompensation among those aged 75 and older (+14%, or 177 more visits). Additionally, there was a rise in visits for suicidal acts across all age groups (+8%, or 118 more visits), at levels comparable to the previous three years.