“It is negative: no flu, no Covid, no angina.” With the holidays just a few days away, many French people are opting for the safety of antigen tests in pharmacies.
“Like every year, young people want to get tested before going to see their grandparents, who are a little fragile, they prefer to get an antigen test before returning to their family, especially when they have a runny nose or sore throat.” observes Frédéric Desmoulins.
In its pharmacy located in the Paris region, the demand for tests has tripled in the last ten days.
“It’s a small gesture that can help many people during the holidays,” confirms Jacqueline, a young woman who has just come to have a nasal swab done.
France suffers a flu epidemic
Contrary to the trend of previous years, Covid is not the main concern in the run-up to Christmas. “Activity remains generally stable at low levels,” indicates Santé Publique France in a bulletin dated Wednesday, December 18.
On the other hand, all of France is in a flu and bronchiolitis epidemic situation (except Corsica, in the situation before the flu epidemic).
“The problem is the added burden of these pathologies that create situations of health consumption in urban areas, even among pharmacists,” explains Dr. Benjamín Davido, infectious disease specialist at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital in Garges.
According to Santé Public France, currently those under 15 years of age are the most affected by the flu.
Source: BFM TV
