Flu, gastro, bronchitis and other winter diseases with absent subscribers

Winter and its viruses are still subject to special surveillance by health authorities, who fear too much traffic in doctors’ offices and hospitals. This year, vigilance is particularly important, while Covid-19 is already mobilizing all available health forces. But according to Public Health France, which holds weekly epidemiological bulletins, the first clues about the flu, gastroenteritis or even bronchitis are rather reassuring, particularly for the respect of barrier gestures.

In early October, the authorities called for a mass flu vaccination. As the campaign began on October 13, nearly 10 million vaccines have already been delivered from pharmacies, or as many as during the entire 2019-2020 season. Strength of vaccinations, but also respect for barrier gestures as well as imprisonment, the virus for the moment is very discreet. According to the latest data from Public Health France which are based in particular on data communicated by SOS Médecins, the flu virus is four times less present in this month of November than last year. Last week, the flu accounted for 39.5 out of 100,000 medical procedures performed by SOS Médecins, up from 146.4 in 2019.

The same situation occurs for other winter viruses. “We have a significant reduction, if at all, of gastroenteritis, bronchiolitis … There aren’t even many ear infections. We see very few people suffering from these winter conditions who, every November and December, fill their lockers”Jean-Luc Leymarie, Rueil-Malmaison’s general practitioner, told LCI.

Thus, gastroenteritis last week was half as virulent as in 2019, with 383 out of 10,000 medical acts. The difference is even more marked for bronchitis, which is three times less present than last year. Last week it accounted for 191 out of 10,000 surgeries, up from 544 in 2019.

After the first delivery, doctors had already observed a drop in visits for gastroenteritis, angina or bronchitis. The consultation rate of general practitioners for the flu syndrome in particular has been halved, according to the French public health network. “I haven’t seen a single patient with gastroenteritis in a month”Jean-Luc Leymarie told LCI at the time. “The only diseases we are currently seeing are related to allergies to pollen and herbs, apart from diabetes or heart problems that obviously have not gone away. But viral infectious diseases have almost disappeared from the practices.”