The flu epidemic has spread in recent days in France, now hitting the entire metropolis, while the peak of bronchiolitis has probably been reached, health authorities announced on Wednesday December 14.
The flu epidemic, which broke out at the end of November, has spread to all metropolitan areas, according to the weekly report from Public Health France. In the overseas territories, only Guyana and Guadeloupe are still in the pre-epidemic phase.
Sharp increase in hospitalizations
The last few days have been marked by a further increase in influenza indicators in all age groups and a “sharp increase in hospitalizations” (+ 117 %).
The outbreak of the influenza epidemic, rather early this year, is testing a health system tested by the recurring waves of Covid, currently in full recovery, and, in babies, by an unprecedented bronchiolitis epidemic. from a decade.
Triple epidemic
The latter continues “at a high level” in metropolitan France as well as in Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique and Mayotte. Nevertheless, the health authorities noted last week a decrease in emergency room visits and hospitalizations, “signing the very probable passage of the peak of the epidemic”.
Faced with the triple epidemic raging in France, the government has called on the French to a ” startle “ vaccination before the holiday season. “Vaccination and respect for barrier gestures remain the best means of protecting yourself from respiratory viruses”, remind the health authorities.