Key Points

COVID-19

• In the Pays de la Loire region, SARS-CoV-2 viral circulation continued the decline that began in Week 50, and hospital and healthcare utilization indicators were also down.

• In Week 01, the regional incidence rate was declining for the fourth consecutive week (90 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, a decrease of 51% compared to Week 52), as was the positivity rate (14% in Week 01, a decrease of 8.6 percentage points). This decline was observed across all age groups and all departments.

• SOS Médecins calls and emergency room visits for suspected COVID-19 were decreasing and at low levels. New hospitalizations, new admissions to critical care, and in-hospital deaths among patients with SARS-CoV-2 were also decreasing.

• In ESMS (medical-social facilities), the number of reported episodes decreased sharply in W52–W01, while the number of new cases among residents rebounded in W01 after a sharp decline in W52. Deaths among residents infected with SARS-CoV-2 remained at a very low level.

Bronchiolitis

• The Pays de la Loire region has been in an epidemic phase for bronchiolitis since S41.

• In W01, the rate of emergency department visits for bronchiolitis among children under 2 years of age stabilized, while SOS Médecins calls began to rise slightly. The positivity rate for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) isolates reported by the virology laboratories at the Nantes and Angers university hospitals continued to decline in Week 01, but RSV circulation remained active.

Influenza and influenza-like illness

• The Pays de la Loire region has been in an influenza epidemic phase since Week 49.

• In Week 01, SOS Médecins consultations and emergency department visits for influenza-like illness continued to decline for the second consecutive week. Hospitalizations following emergency department visits were also down.

• No clusters of acute respiratory infections (excluding COVID-19) in long-term care facilities were reported in Week 01 (unconsolidated data), continuing the decline that began in Week 52. The number of influenza virus isolates reported by the virology laboratories at the Nantes and Angers university hospitals also continued to decline. Nationally, the predominant circulating virus was A(H3N2).

Acute Gastroenteritis

• Calls to SOS Médecins for acute gastroenteritis in Week 01 showed a marked increase (moderate activity level), while emergency department visits remained stable and at a low level.