The seasonal flu epidemic spread to new regions during Christmas week, reaching almost the entire metropolis, while that of bronchiolitis continued to slow down, Public Health France said on Wednesday.
The last week of December was marked by a “sharp increase in indicators (of the flu epidemic and influenza syndrome) in France, particularly in hospitals with 10 regions in epidemic,” summarized the public health agency. in his weekly report. Overseas, Guadeloupe has entered the epidemic phase, joining Guyana and Mayotte. From now on, in mainland France, only Brittany, Normandy and Pays de la Loire have not yet been fully hit by the flu epidemic. However, they should quickly follow, being classified in the pre-epidemic phase.
» READ ALSO – The flu still on the rise, bronchiolitis on the decline
While the flu is spreading, the public health agency, however, confirms a decline in the bronchiolitis epidemic, which mainly affects babies. “Uses to the emergency room and hospitalizations after visits to the emergency room for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years old were decreasing for the fourth consecutive week while remaining at a high level,” summarizes Public Health France. A first region is no longer considered an epidemic area: Brittany, which is entering the “post-epidemic” phase.
Covid-19, the last major winter epidemic to be monitored weekly, also continues to record a significant wave of contaminations, but this has been declining for several weeks.
In this context, in addition to insisting on the vaccination of vulnerable people against flu and Covid, the agency reiterated its call to respect “the wearing of a mask in the event of symptoms, in busy places and in the presence of people vulnerable people, hand washing and regular ventilation of enclosed spaces.