Bronchiolitis: almost all regions in an epidemic situation – BFMTV

The epidemic is particularly early this year and is causing tensions within the pediatric departments at the hospital.

Almost all of the indicators are red. The bronchiolitis epidemic now affects twelve out of thirteen regions in mainland France. This week, Brittany went into an epidemic sentence. Only Corsica remains in a pre-epidemic situation.

According to data from Public Health France published on Wednesday, the deterioration of monitoring indicators for bronchiolitis in children under two years continues. During the week of October 25, 4,189 children under the age of two went to the emergency room for a case of bronchiolitis. This is 25% more than the previous week. Among them, nine out of ten children were under the age of one and nearly a third had to be hospitalized.

Tensions in hospitals

The onset of bronchiolitis is early this year. This disease, which affects babies and causes coughing and difficult, rapid, wheezing, is common. Hospitals are prepared for it, with 30% of children under two years of age affected by this infection on average each year. However, the figures for this early winter are putting hospitals, especially pediatric departments, in difficulty.

Beginning of October, the Scientific Council already warned that “the epidemic of bronchiolitis could be of great magnitude” this year. Indeed, the year 2020 was almost white thanks to confinements and the multiplication of barrier gestures.

Barrier gestures

The exceptional situation can be explained by the collective immunity deficit of babies. Born during the health crisis, they have not been in contact with viruses, especially bronchiolitis last year.

“There are therefore antibodies in the population which are less important, and this can make it more sensitive to this infection”, explains on BFMTV Ricardo Carbajal, head of the pediatric emergency department at the Armand-Trousseau hospital (Paris).

As with Covid-19, barrier gestures reduce the risk of infection. Wash hands before and after caring for the baby, ventilate rooms or wear a mask if you have symptoms of a winter illness. For children under two months of age, it is also advisable to limit visits and not to take the infant to crowded public places.

Other seasonal viral diseases, which had virtually disappeared last winter, could make a comeback this year. This is particularly the case with gastroenteritis or influenza.