The bronchiolitis epidemic is here, it even arrived a little earlier than usual. In Ile-de-France, the situation has reached such a point that the region entered an “epidemic phase” this week, according to the French public health authority.
And the scientific council that directs the French government recently warned that “the epidemic of bronchiolitis could be significant”. De fait, après une mise sous cloche en raison du Covid-19 l’an passé, les pays de l’hémisphère nord se préparent pour cet hiver à un possible rebond de la bronchiolite, maladie respiratoire qui touche les bébéfoires et peles in the hospital.
Last winter, confinement and anti-Covid barrier gestures actually blocked viruses, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) responsible for bronchiolitis. But this year, the children have been less infected than usual, and therefore have lower immunity. Thus, the French Scientific Council notes “a significant deficit in acquired herd immunity for children born after March 2020”.
An epidemic affecting all of France
So the Ile-de-France region as well as the Grand Est have been placed “in an epidemic phase”, as the virus is now actively spreading there. It should also be noted that the entire country is concerned, as 10 other French regions have also been placed in a “pre-pandemic phase”, while the number of cases continues to increase.
As a reminder, bronchiolitis is an epidemic respiratory disease caused mainly by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which mainly affects children before the age of two years. Each winter, 30% of children under the age of two are affected.
In the vast majority of cases, bronchiolitis is benign and develops positively spontaneously. The most common symptom of bronchiolitis is nasal congestion (mild cough, moderate fever).