Bronchiolitis is about to break records.
With hospitalizations higher than the previous three seasons and equivalent to the pre-Covid peak, the epidemic continues to increase, observe the health authorities.
Pointing to a "very significant, rapid and early increase" in indicators, Public Health France noted that "the bronchiolitis epidemic has now spread to all metropolitan regions with the passage of Corsica into the epidemic phase, and with a more marked intensity in the north of France”, in a weekly report.
A total of 6,167 children under two went to the emergency room for bronchiolitis in mainland France during the week of October 24 to 30, a jump of 47% compared to the previous week.
Nearly 1,980 were eventually hospitalized.
Common and highly contagious, bronchiolitis causes babies to cough and have difficult, rapid, wheezy breathing.
If it is distressing for young parents, it is most of the time benign.
This epidemic has hit pediatric emergency services which are more widely plunged into a crisis linked to unsatisfactory working conditions and a lack of staff.
Faced with this crisis and under pressure from caregivers, the Minister of Health François Braun announced on Wednesday new measures to help pediatric services, for a total amount of around 400 million euros.
He acknowledged a “worrying situation” in hospitals, linked to a “worrying” bronchiolitis epidemic.
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