Pediatric emergency services already in crisis must manage the bronchiolitis epidemic which has been spreading in France in recent days.
“Almost all of the metropolis is now in epidemic”, advances the public health agency France in its weekly report.
Common and highly contagious, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and have difficult, rapid, wheezy breathing.
Distressing for parents, the disease is mild most of the time.
In some cases, it may require a visit to the emergency room, or even hospitalization.
In total, in mainland France, 4,311 children under the age of two went to the emergency room for bronchiolitis in the week of October 17 to 23, a jump of almost half compared to the previous week.
More than 1,400 were eventually hospitalized.
2,000 weekly hospitalizations last year during the epidemic
The number of hospitalizations is thus higher than what is usually observed in October, confirming the scenario of an earlier epidemic for the second year in a row.
At its peak, last year's outbreak saw some 2,000 weekly hospitalizations.
This epidemic is hitting pediatric emergency services already in crisis, with unsatisfactory working conditions and a lack of staff.
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