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Their symptoms have fewer mysteries than those of Covid-19. The so-called winter viruses, such as the flu, gastroenteritis, bronchiolitis, or even the common cold, well known to the French could very well spare them this year thanks in particular to one of the effects of the coronavirus epidemic: the use of repeated gestures. barrier. Some diseases have already regressed according to several doctors.
Initiated when Covid-19 arrived in France, surveillance of the first flu season was naturally affected, notes Public Health France. The agency had to prematurely terminate its study of the outbreak in March, “just before the usual end of the flu surveillance period.” Despite these upheavals, Public Health, which relies on three networks: Sentinels, Oscour – the organization of coordinated emergency surveillance – and SOS Médecins, was able to establish its annual robotic portrait of the flu epidemic, published late October. The result: one of the shortest flu epidemics, low mortality and few consultations.
According to data from Public Health France, this first flu season 2019-2020 actually lasted nine weeks, “which is two weeks shorter than the average duration of flu epidemics since the 2010-2011 season in France. Influenza hospitalizations and consultation rates also declined during the outbreak, which peaked in early February.
Among emergency visits for flu, 6,164 (10%) led to hospitalization, Public Health France continues. This percentage is lower than that observed in previous years: 16% in 2018-2019 and 13% in 2017-2018. Data that could be explained by the “nature” of the flu viruses in circulation, which have particularly affected young people, less prone to hospitalization and severe forms.
The southern hemisphere was totally spared
But flu epidemics are always “variable”, remembers the Parisian Serge Samdja, general secretary of SOS Médecins. “For this season, the flu hasn’t come yet,” he insists. According to the latest bulletin of Public Health France, between the beginning of October and the beginning of November, among the 188 nasopharyngeal samples analyzed, no influenza virus was detected.
“Flu epidemics can occur as early as the end of December, most often from January. But we generally start detecting flu virus circulation with low noise in November. This year, the detection levels of the virus are lower than in previous years in the same period ”, analysis with the Parisian Sibylle Bernard-Stoecklin, epidemiologist at Public Health France.
Encouraging signs also regarding the situation outside our borders. “What you have to compare is the entire winter period. It was observed that in the southern hemisphere the flu was weak this year, we can assume that it will follow here ”, the specialist cautiously advances. As confirmed by Public Health France, no flu epidemic was detected during the southern winter. Thanks to the repeated use of barrier gestures, many specialists argue. “There is a consensus that the barrier gestures, the hydroalcoholic gel, have been helpful,” according to Serge Smadja.
A particularly important vaccination
Another explanation is the probable “viral interference phenomenon” which would severely prevent or severely restrict the concomitant circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal respiratory viruses, such as influenza.
So, will we experience the traditional flu this winter? “We are unable to say whether or not the flu will circulate in France and elsewhere this winter, but we are closely monitoring the situation. Influenza surveillance systems have been maintained or even strengthened, ”says Sibylle Bernard-Stoecklin.
The health authorities, which do not exclude “co-infections” with other viruses, are in any case particularly vigilant, to avoid any traffic jam in the health system. “There will be the difficulty of the proximity of the symptoms between flu and Covid”, remembers Serge Smadja, who recalls the importance of vaccination in particular this year.
“Vaccinations and barrier measures will be a bulwark against the flu epidemic”, also proclaims Dr. Gérald Kierzek. “Vaccination on an individual basis is particularly important but also because it will allow the doctor to make a differential diagnosis: if a patient is vaccinated against the flu, and has symptoms of Covid, I would rather go towards this track”, explains the doctor.
“Covid-19 does not prevent the circulation of all viruses”
What is certain is that the practices are already abandoned by other pathologies. “In the office I have almost only two types of patients: those who have Covid symptoms or are in contact and those with depression. There are far fewer seasonal viral diseases such as gastroenteritis or nasopharyngitis, ”a general practitioner noted this weekend in a diary hosted on the website of the newspaper Le Monde. “There is no bronchiolitis, which should start,” adds Serge Smadja.
By comparison, over the same period last year, 1,923 children under two years of age were seen in the emergency room for bronchiolitis during the week, up from 268 this week, according to Public Health France.
Gastroenteritis as well as nasopharyngitis would also be absent subscribers, according to several GPs interviewed by the Parisian, who praise barrier gestures. Only rhinoviruses seem to resist. “Covid-19 does not completely prevent the circulation of all viruses, but their impact appears to be significantly reduced compared to previous years, thanks in the first place to barrier gestures,” remembers Dr Sibylle Bernard-Stoecklin.
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