Bronchiolitis epidemic: “quite worrying” figures after the Covid-linked cover – LCI

Winter diseases are making a comeback and with them, bronchiolitis. This common and highly contagious disease causes babies to cough and difficult, rapid, wheezing. Symptoms that Ilies, aged only 5 months, overlaps.

Very cold, he sleeps little and has difficulty eating. So to make him cough and allow him to breathe better, his mother takes him to a physiotherapy session. She’s not the only one. With doctor Jean-Marie Camus, consultations for bronchiolitis have been increasing in recent days.

“Because of the barrier gestures, the children were not confronted with the virus. So their immune system was a little invaded with the deconfinement. With a more normal life, it is the total explosion”, explains this physiotherapist from Mérignac, in Gironde.

Concern is also on the side of the Scientific Council, which explains in its latest opinion that the fight against Covid-19 has stopped the circulation of viruses such as bronchiolitis for two years now, raising fears of an epidemic “large-scale” for this winter.

“There, it starts very early, and a priori, if we follow the start of the curve, yes, it’s going to be a phenomenal year”, also notes Eric Martin, physiotherapist in Bordeaux. Last weekend alone, the permanence of respiratory physiotherapists in Gironde was called 140 times.

Faced with this strong demand, the guards will resume earlier than usual. “Logically, it starts at the beginning of November, and therefore we will anticipate two weeks because we have quite worrying figures”, explains the director of the service, Marik Fetouh.

“Last week, bronchiolitis represented 6% of emergency room visits, which is above previous years, including before the Covid epidemic”, observes Marik Fetouh. This upstream organization will also make it possible to prepare hospital services, already in great demand during the health crisis linked to Covid-19.

If it is benign in 95% of cases, this disease can cause emergency visits in infants and it is strongly recommended to consult in case of symptoms. Respect for barrier gestures is also recommended to avoid contaminating the little ones.

“We must not take babies under 3 months in supermarkets, and we must keep a minimum of distance”, insists Dr Fabienne Kochert, president of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics. Kisses to babies are also to be avoided: if it is due to the respiratory syncytial virus, a cold in an adult can give bronchiolitis in a little one.