The bronchiolitis epidemic remains at “a very high standard” in metropolitan France observed on Wednesday, November 16, the health authorities.
If the surveillance indicators in children under 2 show a “decrease” in most metropolitan areas, Public health France warned that this reflux “may be temporary following the Toussaint school holidays”.
If they have gone down, “Hospitalizations for bronchiolitis represent for the second consecutive week half of hospitalizations [à la suite d’]a visit to the emergency room in children under 2 years old” in mainland France, underlined the health agency in its weekly report.
5,565 children under the age of 2 went to the emergency room for bronchiolitis in mainland France during the week of November 7 to 13, a drop of 20% compared to the previous week. 2,027 children were eventually hospitalized. A week ago, Public Health France reported emergency room visits and hospitalizations at record levels “for more than ten years”. The intensity of the epidemic is more intense in the northern half of the metropolis and in Guadeloupe, according to the health agency. Mayotte has entered the epidemic phase.
A national emergency plan
Common and highly contagious, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and have difficult, rapid, wheezy breathing. If it is distressing for young parents, it is most of the time benign. In some cases, it may require a visit to the emergency room, or even hospitalization.
This epidemic has hit pediatric emergencies plunged into a crisis linked to unsatisfactory working conditions and a lack of staff. Under pressure, the Minister of Health, François Braun, launched a national emergency plan on November 9, known as ORSAN, intended for exceptional health situations, in order to “further strengthen the resources of the ARS (regional health agencies) and [de] allow the entire hospital to focus on this particularly acute problem today”.
A week earlier, François Braun had announced new measures, in particular for pediatric services, for a total amount of around 400 million euros. With this early and intense epidemic, the “pediatric practices are also in a situation of saturation”said Brigitte Virey, president of the National Union of French Pediatricians, Tuesday in The world.