Summary

In week 31 (July 27–August 2, 2020), total activity at SOS Médecins clinics decreased among children (-4%, or 561 fewer visits), remained stable among those aged 15–74, and increased slightly among those aged 75 and older (+4%, or 313 more visits).

Over the past week, medical procedures for suspected COVID-19 decreased by 16% for the second consecutive week after having increased for four weeks. In total, 2,015 procedures were recorded in week 31 (vs. 2,387 procedures in week 30, a decrease of 372 procedures). This decline applies to all age groups. The share of activity across all ages is down slightly to 3% (vs. 4% the previous week).
The decline was observed in all regions except Centre-Val-de-Loire (72 vs. 53 procedures in Week 30) and Hauts-de-France (191 vs. 183 procedures in Week 30). It ranged from a 49% drop in Normandy to a 5% drop in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The Ile-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions recorded the highest number of procedures (18%, 18%, and 13% of procedures recorded nationally, respectively). Since the start of surveillance, 70,531 procedures for suspected COVID-19 have been performed.

Among other conditions and in connection with the fever spikes observed during the week, there was an increase in cases of heat-related illness across all age groups (+69%, or +94 cases), dehydration among those aged 15 and older (+46%, or +45 cases), isolated fever among those aged 2–14 (+6%, or +17 cases) and those aged 15 and older (+6%, or +28 cases). There was also an increase in cases of insect bites across all age groups (+11%, or +129 cases), malaise among those aged 15–74 (+21%, or +45 cases), and trauma among children under 2 (+21%, or +13 cases).
Finally, there were increases in urinary tract infections (+7%) and anxiety (+9%) among those aged 15 and older, as well as in deterioration of general health (+19%) and deaths (+16%; 377 vs. 325 deaths in S30) among those aged 75 and older.