Does “Lille disease” really exist? – Franceinfo

For more than a week, thousands of young people have posted messages on social networks to warn about “Lille disease”. They all describe the same symptoms: sore throat, headache, a little fever and cough for a few days. According to testimonies, this alleged pathology seems to mainly affect young people. Moreover, some messages speak of the “Masséna variant”, in reference to the Covid-19 and to the name of the street where the bars are in Lille, which would be a high place of contamination.

who has Lille disease here?

– marg (@Margot_lpz) September 12, 2021

brother Lille disease is a crazy thing jv canner

– marcopter (@majdco) September 13, 2021

You can rest assured: this “Lille disease” is not a new variant and there is no link with the coronavirus. Beyond the testimonies on social networks, the local health authorities explain that it was a general practitioner from Lille who alerted them. He was worried that many students were going through his office with flu-like symptoms. He therefore reported it to the Hauts-de-France Regional Health Agency. PCR tests were carried out and they were found to be negative. Moreover, the number of Covid cases continue to drop in the Nord department and there is no sign of an epidemic resumption.

It is, a priori, quite simply nasopharyngitis or angina, in part because of the less respected barrier gestures. In any case, this is what Sophie has noticed for two or three weeks. Provost, doctor in Lille, surveyed by France Bleu Nord : “You really have to be reassured about this seasonal epidemic of respiratory virus. It is very annoying but it is particularly benign and it happens every year … There is nothing more this year.”

Clearly, it is the return of diseases that we had perhaps forgotten a little and which were especially much less present for over a year thanks to masks, hydroalcoholic gel, teleworking or even distance learning. For example, last year, gastro, which is a very common seasonal virus, had the lowest cumulative incidence rate over the past ten years. according to Public Health France.