weaker epidemics this fall-winter than in 2022-2023

On the other hand, Covid has led to epidemic waves of dynamics and intensity comparable to 2022-2023, according to Public Health France, which publishes a report on Wednesday.

It’s time to take stock of acute respiratory infections of fall-winter. Bronchiolitis, influenza and Covid caused epidemics in 2023-2024 with a lower impact on hospitals and community medicine than in 2022-2023, according to a report published Wednesday April 17 by Public Health France (SPF) . The season was marked by two peaks: one at the end of December, linked to the bronchiolitis epidemic and Covid-19, and the other at the end of January, due to the influenza epidemic, notes the health agency.

For bronchiolitis in babies, the epidemic lasted “classic” of 12 weeks, and an intensity “lower” to the virulent 2022-2023 season and “comparable” to pre-Covid episodes. One of the issues this season was whether the vast immunization campaign for babies, via the preventive treatment Beyfortus (Sanofi and AstraZeneca), would be effective in reducing hospitalizations. Victim of its success, this monoclonal antibody (nirsevimab) was reserved for maternity hospitals pending new stocks.

In infants under 3 months, the impact of the epidemic on visits to the emergency room and hospitalizations after a visit to the emergency room appears comparable to pre-Covid years and lower than the 2022-2023 season, notes the SPF report. On the other hand, in infants aged 3 months and over, the observed impact exceeds pre-Covid and is closer to 2022-2023, while remaining lower. “The effect of the nirsevimab immunization campaign and its effectiveness in real life are currently being evaluated,” recalled the health agency.

A Covid epidemic similar to that of 2022-2023

For influenza, the epidemic, lasting 10 weeks and mainly linked to A (H1N1) viruses, was of a magnitude and intensity “moderate” in community medicine, including 1.5 million consultations. Its severity also appeared globally “moderate” in all age groups, with 14,000 hospitalizations after going to the emergency room. One hundred and twenty-five deaths were counted, more than half of which were people aged 65 and over.

As for Covid, it has led to epidemic waves of dynamics and intensity comparable to 2022-2023, according to Public Health France. With a first peak in mid-September, and a second at the beginning of December. Since the end of November, it is a sub-variant of Omicron called JN.1 which has been circulating the most. Only a third of French people aged 65 and over were vaccinated at the end of the campaign carried out from October to February. A new vaccination booster campaign against Covid-19 started in mid-April and should last, in principle, until mid-June.