“We are observing active circulation of all viruses,” explained this December 13 Public Health France. In fact, if the circulation of the bronchiolitis virus is just starting to slow down, that of Covid is progressing, just like the flu viruses.
Santé Publique France called on vulnerable people who have not done so to get vaccinated “as soon as possible” against seasonal flu and all French people to respect barrier gestures.
Where is the epidemic in France in this 2023-2024 winter season? What are the first regions affected? We take stock.
Seasonal flu epidemic 2023-2024: how many cases in France?
In week 49 (December 4 to 10, 2023), “the indicators of influenza/flu-like illness were increasing in community medicine and in hospitals in all age groups”, indicates Public Health France in epidemiological bulletin published on December 13, 2023.
On the community medicine side, out of 21,659 SOS Médecins procedures corresponding to a lower respiratory infection were recorded, the number of medical procedures for influenza syndrome was 7,124, or 7% of cases (vs. 5.8% in W48).
On the hospital side, still in week 49, “the number of visits to the emergency room for flu/flu-like illness and the share of activity among all visits were increasing in all age groups” And “the share of hospitalizations after passage was also increasing in all age groups.” Thus, the number of hospitalizations after going to the emergency room for influenza-like illness was 253, or 0.4% of all hospitalizations (vs. 0.2% in W48).
2023 flu map: here are the most affected regions
In France, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is the first to spend this week in an epidemic and the regions Occitanie, Hauts-de-France and Pays de la Loire are moving into the pre-epidemic phase, bringing the number of regions in this phase to 8. Here are the 8 regions in the “pre-epidemic” phase:
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes,
- Ile-de-France,
- Grand-Est,
- Burgundy-Franche-Comté
- Center-Val-de-Loire
- Occitanie,
- Hauts-de-France,
- Pays de la Loire.
In the DROMs, Mayotte is still in an epidemic, Guyana in the pre-epidemic phase and Réunion in the post-epidemic phase.
Flu: what viruses are in circulation?
Influenza viruses are mainly divided into three categories:
- Type A viruses, which infect humans and many animal species,
- Type B viruses, which almost exclusively affect humans,
- Type C viruses, which usually cause mild illness.
Nevertheless, only viruses A and B are responsible for seasonal epidemics.
In community medicine, among the 1,062 samples tested since week 40, 13 influenza viruses were detected, all type 1. In hospital, of the 70,283 samples tested, 373 were found to be positive for an influenza virus including :
- 338 type A viruses
- 25 of type B virus.
Every year, in mainland France, the epidemic of seasonal flu occurs between the months of November and April, with a peak between the end of December and the beginning of January. It lasts on average between 10 and 11 weeks. Between 2 and 6 million people are affected each year by this particularly contagious viral infection, responsible for around 10,000 deaths: more than 90% of these deaths occur in people over 65 years old.
There winter season 2022-2023 was marked by an epidemic “early and exceptionally long”, with a first wave “very high intensity and marked by a significant impact among those under 65”.
Barrier gestures, vaccination… How to protect yourself from the flu?
“In this context and as the end-of-year holiday gatherings approach, it is important that people at risk protect themselves by getting vaccinated against seasonal flu and COVID-19 and that everyone continues to adopt the barrier gestures“, insists SPF.
Notably wearing a mask in case of symptoms, in busy places and in the presence of vulnerable people. “These measures remain an effective way to protect against respiratory infections and their complications by limiting the risk of transmission of these viruses to those around them, particularly people at risk.”
In addition to these barrier gestures, flu vaccination is strongly recommended, particularly for the most fragile people (people over 65, pregnant women, obese people, people with chronic illnesses), as well as for those close to fragile people.
She is “to be done as quickly as possible, so that the immunity conferred by vaccines is effective by the holidays”, further supports SPF, which adds that the HAS recommends concomitant flu and Covid vaccination, “the same day, at two separate injection sites”.
“In France, it helps prevent more than 2,000 deaths per year.”, indicates the Ministry of Health.
Since the start of the campaign, “34.6% of Covid-19 vaccinations were carried out at the same time as a flu vaccine among people aged 65 and over”.
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Read also :
⋙ Flu and pregnancy: why can it be dangerous for pregnant women?
⋙ Where to get vaccinated against the flu?
⋙ Flu: what are the possible complications and how to avoid them?