Summary

In week 36 (August 31 to September 6, 2020), total activity at SOS Médecins clinics increased among children (+58%, or +6,668 procedures) and remained stable among adults. For the fourth consecutive week, medical procedures for suspected COVID-19 rose by 37% in week 36. In total, 4,144 cases were recorded in Week 36 (vs. 3,033 cases in Week 35, or +1,111 cases). This increase applies to children (+135%, or +512 cases, including 491 among 2- to 14-year-olds) and adults aged 15 to 74 (+23%, or +581 cases). The share of total activity across all age groups rose to 7.1% (vs. 5.7% in week 35). This increase was observed in all regions except Centre-Val de Loire, Corsica, and Martinique. It ranged from +17% in Île-de-France to +95% (+80 procedures) in Brittany. The regions of Île-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur recorded the highest number of cases (18%, 15%, 13%, and 11% of cases recorded nationally, respectively). Since the start of surveillance, 84,153 procedures for suspected COVID-19 have been performed. Among other conditions, there has been a sharp increase in procedures for asthma attacks across all age groups, but primarily among 2- to 14-year-olds in connection with the start of the school year (+133%, or +184 procedures). In this age group, there was also an increase in procedures for viral syndrome (+116%), bronchitis (+99%), isolated fever (+44%), trauma (+36%), and allergies (+64%). Finally, among adults aged 75 and older, there was an increase in procedures for general malaise (+91%, or +50 procedures).