The flu epidemic, which has been particularly virulent this season, has slowed for the second week in a row in France, but the disease remains very present and continues to send many children to hospital, the public health agency announced on Wednesday.
"In France, despite a decrease in indicators in all age groups, influenza activity (...) remained high" last week, according to a weekly report from Public Health France.
This report, which closed on Sunday February 9, shows a decline in medical consultations and hospitalizations linked to influenza and influenza-like syndromes.
The epidemic has been particularly virulent since the start of winter, with high mortality among the elderly and an exceptionally high number of children hospitalized.
As such, the level of hospitalization remains "very high" among those under fifteen, according to Public Health France, while it is now only "moderate" in other age groups.
However, it is adults, mainly seniors, who still record high mortality.
"The share of deaths with a mention of influenza among all electronically certified deaths is decreasing but remains at a very high level for influenza," with 5.5% the week of February 3 to 9, compared to 6.4% the previous week, according to the public health agency.
More than nine out of ten deaths were among people aged 65 and over.
The whole of metropolitan France remains affected by the epidemic, as well as overseas, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana and Mayotte.
Several factors are combining this year to make the flu epidemic particularly virulent: three strains of the virus are circulating simultaneously, and the vaccine appears to be of little effectiveness, particularly in those over 65.
According to new preliminary data, the vaccine is only effective at 27% in those over 65.
In this context, "the systematic adoption of barrier gestures within the general population remains essential to help limit the circulation of respiratory viruses", recalls the agency, mentioning systematic hand washing and wearing a mask in the event of symptoms, as well as the ventilation of rooms.
As for other epidemics, bronchiolitis, which mainly affects babies, is gradually disappearing – only Corsica remains in an epidemic situation in mainland France – and Covid is not circulating much.
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