The flu epidemic spreads in France, start of decline confirmed for bronchiolitis

The seasonal flu epidemic spread in mid-December in France, spreading to the entire east of the metropolis, the public health agency announced on Wednesday, confirming however that bronchiolitis had passed a peak. Concerning the flu, last week was marked by the “transition into the epidemic phase of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est and Occitanie regions”, summarized the Public Health France agency in a weekly report.

The epidemic had arrived in 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 the regions further west should soon be hit, many already being in the so-called pre-epidemic phase. Overseas, Guyana is in turn affected by the flu epidemic, as was already the case with Mayotte before.

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While the flu is spreading in France, the public health agency has noted 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,” she detailed, stressing however that “the indicators remained at high levels in all regions”.

The last major winter epidemic to be monitored weekly, Covid-19 continues to record a significant wave but this is showing signs of stabilization. Consultations in town for Covid have thus stopped increasing. However, at the hospital, emergency visits linked to the disease have again seen their share increase slightly.

In this context, particularly as family and friendly gatherings approach for the holidays, “the systematic adoption of barrier gestures by all is essential, in particular the wearing of a mask in the event of symptoms, in busy places and in the presence of people fragile,” recalled Public Health France, also calling on fragile people to be vaccinated against Covid and flu.