Why hasn’t the flu epidemic started in France yet?

For now, the seasonal virus does not appear to have spread to France. The explanation provided is due in particular to the application of measures aimed at combating Covid-19.

Will the flu epidemic take place this year? The question arises in light of the latest data unveiled by Public Health France on Wednesday. According to its latest influenza epidemiological bulletin, there is “no active circulation of influenza viruses identified by dedicated surveillance networks, only 6 influenza viruses detected in hospitals in different regions, including at least 2 in people returning from a trip to the ‘abroad “.

If the flu vaccination campaign has already been launched since mid-October, it should be borne in mind that the epidemic is often late and in other years, at this stage, it is not good. often only in its infancy.

Usually a later peak

“It’s pretty much January or February,” public health physician Martin Blachier tells BFMTV.com.

For him, the observation of the current absence of the virus is not surprising and is essentially based on one fact: the application of barrier gestures in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Like this coronavirus, the flu is mainly transmitted through droplets emitted by infected people.

“The barrier gestures of Covid-19 prevent the circulation of flu, and since the flu is less contagious, it is even more effective,” stresses Martin Blachier.

Little influence in the southern hemisphere

“We have a point of reference with what happened on the flu in the southern hemisphere: this year the epidemic was very small, most likely due to compliance with the barrier measures, for wearing a mask, hand hygiene, and perhaps also containment when it was the usual winter seasonal peak for the southern hemisphere, therefore in the months of February and March “, the doctor Bruno Grandbastien told BFMTV.com a few days ago.

A statement corroborated by Martin Blachier, who notes that the usual seasonal flu epidemic did not hit Brazil, Australia or even South Africa. However, the doctor remains cautious and judges that if the seasonal flu is not yet spreading much for the moment, it is not excluded that it will come into effect in the coming months, for example if “a relaxation of barrier gestures” were observed.