After the scorching summer lived in the metropolitan territory, it is time to take stock. Santé Publique France notes in a press release published Monday night that the “multiple weather events” that occurred during this summer, which was “the hottest since 1900,” had “a significant impact on health.”
The summer follow-up period, between September 1 and 15, was marked in particular by three episodes of heat waves, during which excess mortality was observed.
An estimated 2,816 deaths, all causes combined, in the departments affected by these episodes, that is, 16.7% more deaths than in the absence of a heat wave in the same period. People over the age of 75 were hardest hit, with 2,272 excess deaths.
a particular context
Santé Publique France also points out that these episodes of heat waves occurred in “a particular context”, “in terms of health with a resurgence of the Covid-19 epidemic but also in climatic terms”.
In fact, 894 deaths related to the Covid-19 epidemic were registered in hospitals and medical-social establishments during the heat waves.
But it cannot be subtracted from the excess mortality observed during heat waves because “Covid-19 may have increased vulnerability to heat for some people, and exposure to heat may have worsened the condition of some patients affected” by the virus, specifies Public Health France.
An excess mortality of more than 6% during the summer period
The public agency also analyzed mortality figures throughout the summer monitoring period. Here again, he observes an excess mortality of 6.1% in the metropolitan territory, or 10,420 excess deaths.
“Probably part of this excess summer mortality is due to the exposure of the population to intense heat but at temperatures that do not reach the heat wave alert thresholds,” he points out, indicating that a more exhaustive investigation has been launched.
During this period, the General Directorate of Labor also notified seven reports of fatal work accidents possibly related to heat. They refer to men between the ages of 39 and 54, and professional activities carried out mainly outdoors.
A sharp increase in emergency room visits
Finally, regarding the use of care, more than 17,000 visits to the emergency room and 3,000 consultations with SOS Doctors were recorded throughout the summer, due to hyperthermia, dehydration and hyponametry. Figures respectively two and three times higher during periods of heat waves than outside.
“These emergency care resources do not make it possible to predict the impact of heat on mortality,” Public Health France still warns.
For the agency, this report underlines “the importance of anticipating the impact of heat in periods of heat waves” and points out the “need for a reinforced climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy” throughout the territory.
Source: BFM TV
