AFP, published on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 1:57 p.m.
The bronchiolitis epidemic continues to decrease in France, while that of the flu persists, with regional disparities, according to the weekly report of the public health agency France.
The second week of January was marked by a “continued reduction in emergency room visits and hospitalizations following the emergency room visit for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years old”, according to this bulletin published on Wednesday.
The epidemic is over in Hauts-de-France and Reunion.
A common and highly contagious condition, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and have difficult, rapid, wheezing breathing. Most of the time benign, it may however require a visit to the emergency room, or even hospitalization.
Last winter, confinements and anti-Covid barrier gestures helped block all viruses, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), responsible for bronchiolitis.
For its part, the flu epidemic persists, with regional disparities.
Thus it was up slightly in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. It was down in Ile-de-France and Occitanie, with disparities within the latter region. In the other regions, the indicators were generally stable.
In mainland France, if the incidence rate of consultations for flu-like illness per 100,000 inhabitants increases (+12% in one week), the number of visits to the emergency room for flu-like illness decreases (-10%).
Last week, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) announced that the flu vaccination campaign, which began in October and was due to end at the end of January, was extended until February 28.
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