Key Points

COVID-19

In Week 17 of 2022, a downward trend in SARS-CoV-2 circulation was observed in the Grand Est region:

• Decrease in incidence across all age groups, except for those under 20.

• Continued decline in the rate of new hospitalizations, decrease in critical care admissions.

• Decrease in the number of emergency room visits.

• Since Week 07, the data now only covers the SOS Médecins associations in Strasbourg and Troyes. For these two associations, a decrease in the number of consultations for COVID-19 has been observed.

• Departmental incidence rates: a decrease in incidence rates across all departments. The highest rate is observed in Haute-Marne (616 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), and the lowest is observed in Aube (494 cases per 100,000 inhabitants).

• Variants: In the Grand Est region, the screening rate is 45%, and 96% of screened tests indicate a suspected Omicron variant (for tests where the mutation is sought and interpretable).

• Vaccination (COVID Vaccine data): As of May 2, 2022, full vaccination coverage for the region was 78.3%. 87.9% of those aged 65–74 and 79.7% of those aged 75 and older had received a booster dose.

Influenza and influenza-like illnesses

• The region entered the post-epidemic phase in week 17 of 2022.

• SOS Médecins: Since week 07, the data now only covers the SOS Médecins associations in Strasbourg and Troyes. For these two associations, the number of consultations for flu-like illness, all ages, is down compared to the previous week (165 consultations in W17–2022 versus 412 in W16–2022), representing 5% of total activity.

• Oscour®: The number of emergency department visits for flu-like illness, all ages, decreased in week S17-2022 compared to the previous week (136 versus 300 in S16-2022) and represents less than 1% of activity.

• Virology data: According to data from the virology laboratories at the University Hospitals of Nancy, Reims, and Strasbourg, influenza virus circulation continued to decline in week 16-2022 in the region.

• Intensive care units in the region: Since the start of surveillance (10/04/2021), five cases of severe influenza have been reported.

• Acute respiratory infections in long-term care facilities: Since the start of surveillance (October 4, 2021), 34 episodes of ARI (excluding COVID-19) have been reported.

Acute gastroenteritis

• SOS Médecins: Since week 07-22, data now pertain only to the SOS Médecins associations in Strasbourg and Troyes. For these two associations, the number of consultations for acute gastroenteritis (AGI), all ages, was 310 in week 17, down from week 16 (351 consultations). The share of activity is 9.7% and is slightly higher than last week.

• Oscour®: The number of emergency department visits for GEA, all ages, continued to decline in week 16-2022 (344 visits compared to 428 in week 16-2022), representing 1.4% of the department’s activity. Children under 5 years of age still account for the majority of this activity, with 172 visits for GEA (7.2% of the activity share for this age group). The proportion of hospitalizations for GEA among all hospitalizations following an emergency department visit in children under 5 is 11%.

• Virology data: According to data from the virology laboratories at the University Hospitals of Nancy, Reims, and Strasbourg, rotavirus circulation continues to decline.