Appeared early, the epidemic of bronchiolitis continues in metropolitan France among infants: hospitalizations are rising sharply, and Reunion is threatened, announced Wednesday 1er December health authorities.
As for several weeks, the metropolis has been marked by a “Continuation of the bronchiolitis epidemic” in all regions, summarized in its weekly bulletin the agency Public Health France. The public health organization notes a “Sharp increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations” for children under 2 years old. Reunion has been in the pre-epidemic phase since last week.
1,840 hospitalizations last week
Overall, 5,098 children under the age of 2 were seen in the emergency room for bronchiolitis last week, of which 4,577 (or 90%) were under the age of 1 and 1,840 (36%) were hospitalized. The vast majority of these, about 92% (1,701), were under 1 year of age.
Common and highly contagious, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and difficult, rapid, wheezing. Most of the time benign, it may however require a visit to the emergency room, or even hospitalization. Last winter, confinements and barrier actions to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 helped block all viruses, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), responsible for bronchiolitis. The children were less infected than usual, so their collective immunization is less, which raises fears of a stronger epidemic this year.
This phenomenon could also concern other winter viruses, including those of influenza or gastroenteritis. For now, seasonal flu, the epidemic of which usually spreads later in the year, remains little present in metropolitan France, according to Public Health France, which however notes an increase in cases. Overseas, in Reunion, which entered the pre-epidemic phase the previous week, the situation is not worsening for the moment. Mayotte, for its part, remains struck by the epidemic, as has already been the case for several weeks.