Key Points

In Week 36 (September 4–10, 2023), activity at SOS Médecins clinics increased among children (+10%, or +1,817 procedures) following the first week of the school year (metropolitan France and the French West Indies) and remained stable among adults.

The sharpest increase of the week across all age groups was the continued rise in medical procedures for suspected COVID-19: 4,067 procedures recorded in Week 36 vs. 3,488 in Week 35, representing a 17% increase (+22% in Week 35). This trend is observed across all age groups: +58% among children and +12% among adults (203 and 371 cases, respectively).

Among children, most indicators are on the rise, particularly seasonal respiratory conditions:

• asthma (+27%),

• bronchitis (+16%),

• ENT conditions (+14%),

• scarlet fever (+39%).

There has also been an increase in cases of viral syndrome (+19% among 2- to 14-year-olds) and chickenpox (+58% among children under 2).

Among other conditions, there was an increase in medical procedures for isolated fever across all age groups (+27%), which was more pronounced among children (+40%). Regarding mental health indicators, there was an increase in medical procedures for anxiety across all age groups (+95 procedures, or +8%).

In the context of the heat wave at the end of the week in certain regions, there was also an increase in medical visits for: heatstroke (174 visits in Week 36 vs. 10 in Week 35) and insect bites across all age groups, as well as for dehydration and burns among adults.

In the context of the Rugby World Cup, which began on September 8, no unusual variations in the monitored indicators were observed. Note: five cases related to this event were recorded by the SOS Médecins associations (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, PACA, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions).