The H1N1 influenza A virus is widespread in New Aquitaine, and therefore in Courage. Although it is too early to know the extent of the pandemic’s impact, the regional health agency gives us a picture of the 2023-2024 winter flu: it mainly affects people under the age of 65 and is highly contagious. And rather fierce.
As in the whole of France, which shows only one color on the map of epidemiologists, in New Aquitaine, regarding the flu, “all the data is red”, summarizes the medical consultant to the general management of the regional health agency (Dr. Sylvie Qualet). ARS) Novelle-Aquitaine.
While bronchitis is in the post-pandemic phase and the circulation of covid is stable, the flu epidemic is on the rise. Here are three things to know about the 2023-2024 winter flu.
1. She is tough
From Bordeaux, ARS teams look at surveillance data from across the region: from a network of hospitals, city doctors and laboratories. Verdict: “The positivity rate is increasing very significantly, it is a high intensity epidemic, with a high level of severity. We have a high hospitalization rate,” underlines the expert. Fortunately, this is not an epidemic of alarming severity: “We have, for the moment, no warning of mortality. »
So far, the flu has not had a significant impact on hospitals. “Maybe it will be different in a fortnight as the virus continues to grow, but at the moment it is quiet. We don’t see any significant impact on emergencies or the number of hospital admissions,” suggests Dr Frank Picot, medical officer of health at Brive Hospital Centre.
How to avoid catching it at the doctor??
Jean-Marie Chaumille, President of the Courage Order of Physicians, gives us the answer. “At the moment, winter epidemics and especially flu are spreading. If the latter really takes on significant proportions, I think it would be desirable to ask for the wearing of masks to be normalized in waiting rooms and reception areas. From people because flu spreads like covid. .”
2. It mainly affects “young people”.
Based on field data, Sylvie Qualet determines that this year’s flu “mostly affects young people, so people under 65. We have viruses that will affect people who have not been traditionally vaccinated. Until now, elderly people were not affected. »
The scientist takes the opportunity to point out that “the flu is serious at the extremes of life. » Which is not to say that active adults shouldn’t protect themselves from it.
3. It needs to be taken seriously
With the flu, as with Covid, certain protective measures for yourself and others are necessary. If you have any doubts, a quick test at the pharmacy will help determine whether you have the flu, covid or a common cold.
Hand washing, room ventilation, wearing masks and teleworking when possible can play an important role in limiting the spread of the disease. A barrier gesture to adopt even if you’re ready to go to work. “We have to stop wanting to play the hero,” says Sylvie Qualet. Especially because it’s not nice, because we contaminate other people, viruses are highly contagious. »
And what about gastro? It ends
After a sharp increase observed during the last week of December, the activity for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in emergency in New Aquitaine decreased at the beginning of January and reached a moderate level during the last week of January (1.4% of the total activity), explains. Public Health France. The number of emergency room visits is relatively stable. The share of activity for GEA among under-5s tends to stabilize with 7.5% of total activity recorded at the end of January.
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