Summary

In week 47 (November 16–22, 2020), total activity at SOS Médecins clinics remained stable among children and declined among adults (-9%, or 4,308 fewer procedures).

In week 47, after five weeks of increases, medical procedures for suspected COVID-19 declined for the third consecutive week. This decline was observed across all age groups but was more pronounced among adults (-36% among those aged 15–74 and -44% among those aged 75 and older) than among children (-20% among those under 15). Suspected COVID-19 is the second most common diagnosis among adults and the fifth most common among those aged 2–14. In total, 3,019 cases were recorded (vs. 4,588 cases in week 46, a decrease of 34%). The share of total activity across all age groups also declined to 5.4% (vs. 7.7% in week 46). This decline, observed in all regions, was most pronounced in Corsica (-59%, or -37 cases), Martinique (-42%, or -8 cases), Grand-Est (-41%, or -161 cases), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (-38%, or -360 cases). Since the start of surveillance, 149,129 tests for suspected COVID-19 have been performed.

Among other conditions, an increase in procedures for bronchitis (+17%, or +81 procedures) and trauma (+11%, or +59 procedures) was observed in children. In children under 2 years of age, there was an increase in procedures for bronchiolitis, viral syndrome, conjunctivitis, and oral/ENT conditions of around +20%, though with very low case numbers. Among children aged 2–14, there was an increase in procedures for ENT conditions (+8%, or +327 procedures) and abdominal pain (+20%, or +76 procedures). Among those aged 75 and older, there was an increase in procedures for anxiety, heart disease, and abdominal pain of around 10%, though with small sample sizes. Among those aged 15–74, all these conditions are stable or declining.