The number of deaths increased by almost 301 in France and by 621 in the Paris region alone during the week of June 22, the peak of the exceptional heatwave that hit the country, Public Health France announced on Friday.
The public health agency reported, in a new assessment, " an increase of +29.1%, corresponding to 2,025 additional deaths compared to the previous week", recalling that this last figure was certainly " underrated“.
The estimate of the number of deaths is based, in fact, only on electronic death certificates, which represent just over half of the deaths in the country.
The variation of 30%, on the other hand, is more representative of the extent of the health consequences of this heatwave which struck France for about ten days and proved exceptional with three of the hottest days ever recorded in the country.
Île-de-France and Pays de la Loire regions were particularly affected.
The trend is particularly striking in Île-de-France (the Paris region), with an increase of over 621 deaths in the last week. A similar increase has been reported in the Pays de la Loire region (western France).
Public Health France had already reported 1,000 more deaths than normal, but that figure only covered the end of the week. The new report covers the entire week, even though the heatwave had started a few days earlier.
“ What is very important is that in these 2,025 deaths, (…) there is an increase of 91% deaths at home compared to the previous week" , Health Minister Stéphanie Rist specified on the TF1 channel.
Deaths at home, housing poorly adapted to the heat
The historic heatwave that struck France at the end of June created unbearable conditions in many homes. High temperatures are forecast again for the weekend. Scenes of pushing and shoving, even fights, broke out in stores on Thursday after 200,000 fans and air conditioners went on sale.
Across all age groups, interventions for heatstroke and dehydration have increased sixfold and fourfold respectively, according to the organization SOS Médecins.
Health authorities and the government have been emphasizing the problem of deaths at home during the heatwave for several days. The 2003 heatwave killed 15,000 people in France, mainly elderly and many of them in nursing homes (Ehpad), but also at home.
The June episode is considered more intense but its health consequences are less severe, according to authorities.
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