The bronchiolitis epidemic has continued to progress in recent days in France despite a decline linked to school holidays. Emergency room visits and hospitalizations have reached unprecedented levels “for more than ten years”underlined Wednesday, November 9 the health authorities.
The Minister of Health François Braun launched the national white plan, provided for in exceptional health situations in all French hospitals. “I decided this morning, in addition to everything that was already mobilized, to trigger the Orsan plan (organization of the response of the health system in exceptional health situations) specific to this epidemic, to further strengthen the means of the ARS and allow the entire hospital to focus on this particularly acute problem today”he told the Senate.
Orsan activation will ensure “appropriate care and support for infants and young children affected by the epidemic”but also to ensure the best “operational structuring of the response to health needs in each territory, ensuring the full mobilization of all health actors (public and private)”said the Ministry of Health in a press release.
The overall more marked epidemic in the northern half of France
Noting a “continued increase” indicators “despite a shift in connection with the Toussaint school holidays”, Public Health France has pointed to “Very high number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for bronchiolitis and at levels higher than those observed at epidemic peaks for more than ten years”.
The epidemic appears generally more marked in the regions of the northern half of France, adds the health agency in its weekly report. Common and highly contagious, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and have difficult, rapid, wheezy breathing. If it is distressing for young parents, it is most of the time benign. In some cases, it may require a visit to the emergency room, or even hospitalization.
6,891 children under 2 in the emergency room
In total, 6,891 children under the age of 2 went to the emergency room for bronchiolitis in mainland France during the week from October 31 to November 6. This represents a weekly increase of 7%, although much less than the increase of the previous week (+ 47%). Some 2,337 children were eventually hospitalized.
“Hospitalizations for bronchiolitis represent 50% of hospitalizations following a visit to the emergency room in children under 2 years old. In comparison, this percentage was around 40% during the peaks of previous seasons,” noted Public Health France. This epidemic has hit pediatric emergency services plunged into a crisis linked to unsatisfactory working conditions and a lack of staff.
Faced with this crisis and under pressure from caregivers, the Minister of Health François Braun announced last week new measures to help pediatric services, for a total amount of around 400 million euros. He then recognized a “worrying situation” in hospitals, linked to an epidemic of bronchiolitis “disturbing”.