Key Points

• Epidemiological Surveillance of COVID-19

  • Multi-source, comprising various systems designed for descriptive and/or evaluative purposes

  • Enabling the tracking and description of the epidemic in all its dimensions (biologically confirmed cases, severe cases, deaths, vulnerable populations such as residents of social and medical-social institutions (ESMS), including residential care facilities for dependent elderly individuals (EHPAD))

  • First-time implementation of a system to centralize, in near real time, the results of all diagnostic tests performed by private and hospital medical laboratories (available starting in May 2020 and during the first phase of reopening)

• Study period for the completion of this BSP

  • March 2020 to May 2021

  • Covering the first three waves of the epidemic

• Epidemic dynamics in the Grand Est region (March 2020 – May 2021)

  • Epidemic dynamics reflected in all data sources

  • An early and intense first wave, placing very heavy strain on the healthcare system

  • A second and third wave of more moderate intensity, but much longer than the first wave

  • A third wave marked by the circulation of different variants (Beta in Moselle starting in February 2021 and Alpha across all departments in the region)

• Key data for Grand Est (March 2020 – May 2021)

  • 7,800,630 people tested and 412,756 cases identified

  • 47,095 hospitalizations, including 7,879 in intensive care; 10,206 deaths in healthcare facilities

  • 275 cases reported by sentinel intensive care units; median age of 66; presence of comorbidities in over 80% of them; median length of stay of 9 days

  • 2,446 outbreaks reported in long-term care facilities, including 1,349 in nursing homes; 18,309 cases among residents and 9,262 among staff; 2,923 deaths in long-term care facilities

  • 42,192 emergency room visits and 18,757 SOS Médecins calls for suspected COVID-19

  • 13,129 deaths in healthcare facilities and ESMS

  • 80% of people aged 75 and older had received one dose; 67% had completed the full vaccination series by the end of May 2021