The seasonal flu epidemic spread in mid-December in France and spread to the east of the metropolis, the public health agency announced this Wednesday, December 20, confirming however that bronchiolitis had surpassed a peak.
As for the flu, last week was marked by the “transition to the epidemic phase of the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Grand Est and Occitanie,” summarized the French Public Health agency in a weekly report.
Eastern France affected
The epidemic had reached mainland France the previous week via Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA). With the new regions, the entire eastern part of the metropolis is affected and soon the regions further west should also be affected, many of which are already in the so-called pre-epidemic phase.
Abroad, Guyana is in turn affected by the flu epidemic, as happened previously with Mayotte.
As the flu spreads in France, the public health agency notes a decline in the bronchiolitis epidemic, which mainly affects babies.
“The peak of the bronchiolitis epidemic was reached (at the beginning of December) in France,” he detailed, stressing however that “the indicators remained at high levels in all regions.”
The last major winter epidemic that must be followed weekly, Covid-19, continues to register a significant wave, but shows signs of stabilization.
Therefore, consultations in the city due to Covid have stopped increasing. However, in the hospital, the percentage of emergency visits related to the disease has increased slightly again.
In this context, especially when family and friendly gatherings approach during the holidays, “the systematic adoption of barrier gestures by everyone is essential, in particular the use of a mask in case of symptoms, in crowded places and in the presence of fragile people”. “Public Health France recalled, also asking frail people to get vaccinated against Covid and flu.
Source: BFM TV
