In France, the influenza epidemic which strongly affected the inhabitants at the beginning of winter is struggling to decrease. Despite the drop in certain indicators, eight metropolitan regions are still in the epidemic phase.
We had almost forgotten it, yet following four months of epidemic, the flu has not said its last word. Usually, the disease appears in December and lasts regarding ten weeks. This year, the epidemic is already in its seventeenth week.
Eight mainland regions are still in the epidemic phase. In addition, the epidemic has recently also hit the West Indies and the island of Mayotte.
Public Health France, however, notes a “decrease in the majority of flu indicators”, particularly in Corsica, Île-de-France and Occitanie, regions which have just entered the post-epidemic phase.
The importance of barrier gestures
If the incidence rate of influenza is still on the rise compared to the previous week, the weekly bulletin of Public Health France notes a drop of 11% in the number of visits to the emergency room for flu syndrome and of 16% the number of hospitalizations.
Faced with the risk, health professionals insist on the importance of barrier gestures: wear a mask in the event of symptoms or disinfect their hands regularly.
“We must be wary of the flu in patients at risk: those over 65, pregnant women and immunocompromised people”, explains to BFMTV Maximilien Pirio, pharmacist in Strasbourg.
Since the start of the flu epidemic, out of 915 serious cases admitted to intensive care, 109 deaths have been recorded.