Bronchiolitis: the epidemic continues to grow in France – South West

The bronchiolitis epidemic, which could be particularly strong this winter after a blank year due to Covid, already affects 11 of the 13 regions of metropolitan France, and the last two, Brittany and Corsica, should soon join them, according to health authorities.

In its weekly update on this respiratory disease which affects babies, the French public health agency noted Wednesday a “continuation of the strong and early increase in monitoring indicators for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years”.

In a city, all regions are in the epidemic phase, with the exception of Brittany and Corsica, which are in the pre-epidemic phase.

Common and highly contagious, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and difficult, fast, and wheezing. Most of the time benign, it may however require a visit to the emergency room, or even hospitalization.

During the week of October 18, 3,342 children under the age of 2 were seen in the emergency room for bronchiolitis, of which a third (1,138) subsequently had to be hospitalized. In both cases, 9 out of 10 were less than a year old.

Less infected last year

Two weeks earlier, there were only 1,779 emergency room visits of children under 2 years of age for bronchiolitis, and 643 hospitalizations.

Last winter, confinements and anti-Covid barrier gestures also blocked other viruses, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), responsible for bronchiolitis. The children were less infected than usual and therefore have less immunity, raising fears of a stronger epidemic this year.

This phenomenon could also concern other winter viruses, including influenza or gastroenteritis. The health authorities therefore launched a campaign on Tuesday to recall the importance of barrier gestures (being masked, ventilating, washing your hands, coughing in your elbow, avoiding kisses and handshakes …), while “a feeling of weariness tends to generalize ”.