Key Points

COVID-19

• In Week 40 in Normandy, the impact of COVID-19 is limited. The incidence rate is low, and indicators in urban areas and long-term care facilities are stable or declining. Hospital activity remains moderate, with a continued decline in the number of new hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care.

• At the departmental level, all incidence rates were low (≤ 30/100,000 inhabitants). Three departments recorded a decrease: Seine-Maritime (23/100,000, -8%), Eure (26/100,000, -13%), and Manche (11/100,000, -31%). The incidence rates in Calvados and Orne were increasing but remained at a moderate level (27 per 100,000 and 30 per 100,000, respectively, +4% and +50%).

• Positivity rates remained below 1%. Testing activity was generally stable, with some departmental variations: a decrease in Manche (-9%) and an increase in Orne (+8%).

• However, the lifting of certain measures, such as the mask mandate in schools across all departments in Normandy, calls for close attention to how the situation evolves in the coming weeks.

• Similarly, as adherence to preventive measures declines, it remains important to emphasize the importance of a combined approach: continuing to encourage vaccination for all eligible individuals, while maintaining high levels of adherence to preventive measures, testing, contact tracing, and isolation in the event of infection or contact with a confirmed case.

Bronchiolitis

Pre-epidemic phase: In week 40, there was an increase in emergency room visits and the number of SOS Médecins calls for bronchiolitis. Activity is moderate and similar to that observed in previous years among SOS Médecins, but it is higher than in previous years in emergency departments. The number of isolated RSV cases among hospitalized patients is increasing (6 at Caen University Hospital and 29 at Rouen University Hospital in week 40).

Influenza

Non-epidemic phase: In week 40, influenza-related emergency department visits and the number of SOS Médecins calls remained stable. Influenza activity is low. The number of isolated influenza viruses is zero among hospitalized patients in Rouen and Caen.