Key Points

COVID-19

In the Pays de la Loire region, the decline in SARS-CoV-2 transmission indicators continued in Week 8, marking the fourth consecutive week of decline. The impact on the healthcare system remained significant but showed signs of improvement.

In Week 08, the regional incidence rate continued to decline, reaching 548 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the testing rate fell less sharply than in previous weeks. Incidence and positivity rates decreased across all age groups in Week 8. As at the national level, the Omicron variant remained overwhelmingly predominant in the region, with nearly 100% of screenings indicating suspected Omicron cases in Week 8.

In terms of healthcare utilization, SOS Médecins calls for suspected Covid-19 continued to decline in Week 08, as did emergency department visits for the same reason. In hospitals, the number of new Covid-19 hospitalizations reported at the regional level continued to decline in Week 08, while the number of new admissions reported to critical care units remained relatively stable at a high level. The number of new reported hospital deaths began to decline in Week 8, though it remained at a high level. In long-term care facilities (ESMS), the number of new reported outbreaks decreased again in Week 8, with the number of confirmed cases among residents and staff remaining high but declining. The number of deaths among residents was also decreasing in Week 8.

At the departmental level, incidence and testing rates continued to decline in all departments. Mayenne and Vendée had higher levels of viral circulation. Hospital indicators were decreasing in Week 08, except for the number of new admissions reported to critical care units in Loire-Atlantique, which was slightly increasing.

Regarding vaccination coverage, the booster dose was administered to nearly 63% of the regional population. Age-based disparities are becoming more uniform among adults, with rates ranging from 70% among those aged 18–49 to 92% among those aged 65–74.

Influenza and influenza-like illness

The Pays de la Loire region has remained in the pre-epidemic phase for influenza since Week 51 of 2021. A slight increase in emergency department visits for influenza-like illnesses was observed in Week 8, while the rate of SOS Médecins calls for the same reason remained stable, with no marked increase recorded. Similarly, influenza A isolates, reported by the Nantes and Angers university hospitals and still predominantly involving children, remained stable in week 08. No severe cases of influenza admitted to critical care were reported in week 08, nor were there any new clusters of acute respiratory infections (ARI) other than COVID-19 in the region’s healthcare facilities.

Acute Gastroenteritis

High levels of healthcare utilization for acute gastroenteritis continued to be observed in Week 08 in the region, with the number of emergency department visits still on the rise, particularly among children under 5 years of age, where a peak significantly higher than those of the two previous seasons during the same period was recorded.