The coronavirus may occupy attention, the flu epidemic is still underway in France. According to the latest weekly report from Santé Publique France, influenza activity is stable or increasing moderately in all metropolitan regions.
Half as many deaths as last winter
44 people have died since last November compared to 117 at the same period in 2019. These are “8 children under 15 years of age, 18 cases aged 15-64 years and 18 cases aged 65 years and over “, according to the public health agency France. 530 serious cases of influenza were reported and admitted to intensive care, compared to 1,181 at the same period in 2019.
The average age of these severe cases is 52 years. Three-quarters of them had risk factors (age over 65 and chronic conditions) and more than half of them were unvaccinated.
The epidemic peak reached in Île-de-France
According to the last weekly report dated February 19, influenza activity is stable or increasing moderately in all metropolitan regions, except Île-de-France where it has reached its peak and where there is a decrease in all indicators of influenza activity since the end of January. In Overseas France, the flu continues to progress in the Antilles and Guyana.
Slight increase in immunization coverage
An important figure to note: almost half of the samples tested and positive for influenza contained type B virus (45%), a figure up from the previous year. Type B flu only causes localized epidemics and is less prone to mutations than type A flu with more serious consequences.
Vaccination coverage in mainland France increased from 46.5% to 47.2% (+0.7 points) between the start and the end of 2019 for all subjects at risk (people aged 65 and over) and more and people of all ages with certain chronic pathologies), underlines Le Figaro, citing Public Health France.
Each year, the flu affects 2 to 6 million people in France and kills 10,000 on average, according to official figures. Globally, the annual death toll is estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) between 29,000 and 650,000.
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