According to Public Health France, which publishes a weekly update on the current flu epidemic, the health situation is stabilizing but contamination remains at a high level.
The flu epidemic which started early at the end of 2022 seems to be stagnating at the start of the year. Caution, however, because the contamination figures remain at a high level according to the latest newsletter as of Public Health France. The health organization has also warned that this slowdown which occurred between December 26 and January 1 could only be temporary, as contamination is likely to increase following the end-of-year meetings.
The people most at risk are the oldest: the agency warned that “hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase, particularly among those aged 65 and over”, also note an 18% increase in emergency room visits , following hospitalization for this age group. In general, in city medicine, although at a still high level of contamination, the incidence rate of consultations for flu syndrome per 100,000 inhabitants was 286 people, a reduction of 26% compared to the previous week. .
Étienne Decroly commented at the end of December on the virulence of the flu this year at the microphone of France info. First, the level of immunization has dropped compared to the years spent masked to protect against Covid, this relaxation after three years induces an epidemic which hits harder. Then for the director of research at the CNRS at the University of Aix-Marseille, “a mutation, which appeared in the virus, partially escapes the vaccine”. Hence a vaccination not as effective as hoped, especially since the vaccination figures are low.
Which departments are most affected by the flu?
In these latest data published on January 4, Public Health France indicated that, during the week between December 26 and January 1, “flu indicators were down in all regions, except in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Centre-Val de Loire and Occitanie where the indicators were stable.”, adding that the Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions were the most affected regions. All of France, overseas departments and regions remain on epidemic alert.
In more detail, these data suggest a stronger presence of influenza in the north of France. The rate of medical procedures performed by SOS Médecins was highest in Normandy (3,3334 influenza-related procedures out of 10,000 performed) and in Île-de-France (2,928). The rates of visits to the emergency room for influenza confirm this trend since, in Île-de-France, 894 out of 10,000 are linked to the virus, 747 in Hauts-de-France, 641 in Normandy. It should also be noted that 567 passages in the emergencies of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, out of 10,000, are also linked to the flu.
It’s possible to take a test to detect the flu!
In the manner of a covid test, it is possible to carry out a test against the flu by looking for contaminated cells in the nose. This is a TROD (rapid diagnostic orientation test) which is most often carried out in pharmacies during an epidemic as at present. This test must be carried out within 24 or 48 hours after the appearance of the first symptoms.
New tests are present in certain pharmacies, and make it possible to detect both the flu and the Covid. These two-in-one tests are not yet fully reimbursed by health insurance. It is currently billed at 5 euros. Since the symptoms of the two viruses are often similar, these new tests make it possible to determine the virus present in the body. Like a Covid antigen test, it is a sample of the nasal mucus which will be taken and the result will be known in a few minutes.
What are the symptoms of the flu?
On the site of theHealth Insuranceit is indicated that after contamination, the disease declares itself within approximately 48 hours, with “a high fever (around 39°C) accompanied by chills, intense fatigue, a feeling of depression with loss of appetite, diffuse muscular (aches) and joint pain, headaches, then a dry and painful cough”.