Christmas is coming.
While the school holidays began this Friday, three respiratory viruses are still circulating: Covid-19, influenza and bronchiolitis.
Where are these three epidemics in the country?
Le Figaro
takes stock.
Covid-19: peak reached... only for contamination?
On the Covid-19 side, a peak seems to have been reached.
At least at the level of new contaminations.
As of December 16, the latest data published by Public Health France, 57,849 new cases were confirmed on average smoothed over seven days, down 2.21% compared to the previous day and 4.01% over one week.
This figure has been falling since December 13.
Read alsoCovid-19: the Omicron wave is sweeping over China
As a reminder, the smoothed average over seven days makes it possible to compensate for the days when fewer tests are carried out, such as Sundays, and therefore to have a better view of the epidemic dynamics.
The positivity rate for PCR and antigen tests is also falling.
From 28.66 positive tests for Covid-19 for 100 tests carried out on December 5, this rate rose to 26.88% on December 13.
"
What we are seeing at the national level is a slight drop in the positivity rate
"
,
noted this Friday with AFP Nicolas Methy, expert at Public Health France, during a press conference.
Read alsoCovid-19: why the WHO wants to believe in the end of the international public health emergency in 2023
At the hospital, the main variable used by the government to decide whether or not to take restrictive measures, the figures remain on the rise.
As of December 16, 24,173 people were hospitalized due to Covid-19, up 9.57% over one week but only 0.20% over one day.
Among them, 1,393 were in intensive care or intensive care on December 16, up 17.35% over one week and 1.38% compared to the previous day.
“
New hospitalizations of Covid-19 patients are still on the rise
”
,
explained Nicolas Methy on Friday.
On average smoothed over seven days, 101 people died of Covid-19 in hospital as of December 16.
It was 75 on December 10.
Flu hospitalizations on the rise
This year, the flu is also coming to the table.
The epidemic "
is earlier than in previous years and the increase is very rapid
", insisted to AFP epidemiologist Sybille Bernard-Stoecklin of Public Health France this Friday.
According to her, there was no evidence for the time being that the virus was more dangerous than in previous years.
All metropolitan regions are now in the epidemic phase.
Read also Bronchiolitis, flu, Covid-19: can French hospitals cope with a triple epidemic?
According to the latest weekly epidemiological bulletin published for week 49 by Public Health France on December 14, 6,569 people went to the emergency room for flu-like illness the week of December 5 to 11, 2022 (+93% in one week).
Among them, 654 were hospitalized (+117% in one week).
The peak of bronchiolitis probably reached
In its last weekly epidemiological bulletin published for week 49 on December 14, Public Health France indicated that 6,626 children under two years old - the age group most affected by this epidemic - were hospitalized.
It was 8552 the week before (1926 passages less).
The rate of visits to the emergency room for bronchiolitis for 10,000 visits to the emergency room of children under 2 years old, the reference used by Public Health France, is also falling.
Last week, the authorities noted a decrease in emergency visits and hospitalizations, "
signing the very likely passage of the peak of the epidemic
".
The bronchiolitis epidemic has reached a record level of hospitalizations for 10 years.