news | Influenza and bronchiolitis epidemics show signs of calm in France

By La Provence (AFP)

The bronchiolitis epidemic in France is declining, and the influenza epidemic is stabilizing, according to the weekly report from the French Public Health Agency.

The first week of January is marked with a sign “A sharp drop in the monitoring indicators of bronchiolitis in children under the age of two”According to this bulletin issued on Wednesday.

Agency especially interested with “The end of the epidemic in Ile-de-France” and the “Transition to the Post-Pandemic Era in Hauts-de-France and Normandy”. Martinique has gone through an epidemic phase.

Bronchiolitis, a common and highly contagious one, causes children to cough, hard, fast, and wheeze. Most of the time, it may require an emergency room visit or even hospitalization.

Last winter, confinement and anti-Covid barrier gestures helped prevent all viruses, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) responsible for bronchiolitis.

For its part, the influenza epidemic has also shown encouraging signs.

Thus, indicators of influenza activity in general medicine have stabilized. And if the incidence of influenza syndrome consultations per 100,000 inhabitants increases (+26% in 1 week), the number of emergency visits for influenza syndrome decreases (-32%).

The General Directorate of Health announced, on Tuesday, the extension of the influenza vaccination campaign, which began in October and was scheduled to end at the end of January, until February 28.

The occurrence of an influenza epidemic in conjunction with the fifth wave of Covid “It could have a significant impact on the provision of care, particularly the hospital, including pediatric intensive care”, remember the DGS. “After nearly three months of a dynamic campaign thanks to everyone’s mobilization, nearly 12 million people have been vaccinated against influenza”, continues, adding that “There is still a large margin of progress to reduce the impact of the influenza pandemic”.