Key Points

COVID-19

• In Week 11 in Normandy, epidemic surveillance indicators continue to rise. Incidence rates are increasing in all departments, with high rates in Eure, Seine-Maritime, and Orne. Testing activity is on the rise, particularly in schools. Analysis of screening test results for variants of interest collected via the SI-DEP tool continued to show an increase in the proportion of suspected UK variants, which accounted for 79.6% (4,143) of screened tests. The proportion of suspected ZA or BR variants remained stable at 2.7% (143). The Eure and Seine-Maritime departments had a proportion of 83% of suspected UK variants, Calvados 71%, Orne 80%, and Manche 58%. The proportion of suspected ZA or BR variants was 13.0% in Manche, 6.0% in Calvados, and less than 4% in the other departments.

• An increase in new admissions of COVID-19 patients to general wards and intensive care units was observed. The number of COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Normandy was also rising, with 1,292 people hospitalized as of March 23. The number of patients who died during their hospitalization was also increasing. Those most vulnerable to this epidemic remain people over the age of 65, as well as those with comorbidities, even though a trend toward younger patients among new cases and new hospital admissions is being observed. As the epidemic progresses, pressure on hospitals will intensify in the coming days. Adherence to individual prevention measures, compliance with collective containment measures, and the acceleration of vaccination are key priorities for addressing the high level of viral circulation and the heavy pressure on hospitals.

• While the vaccination campaign continues—with 43.4% of nursing home residents and 32.9% of healthcare workers having received two doses of the vaccine—single-dose vaccination coverage in the general population in Normandy stood at approximately 11%. Accelerating the vaccination campaign is now more critical than ever to counter this trend. Furthermore, the latest results from the CoviPrev survey indicate that the systematic reduction in contacts is declining, likely due to fatigue with the recommendations. The consistent adoption of preventive measures and the limitation of contacts are essential in the current context. It remains crucial that anyone exhibiting symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 immediately self-isolate and undergo a diagnostic test as soon as possible.

Mortality

The age-standardized mortality rate in the Normandy region has not been elevated since Week 9. The data still needs to be consolidated. The number of deaths among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 increased in Week 11 compared to the previous week.

Bronchiolitis

In Week 11: Bronchiolitis activity is increasing in emergency departments and at SOS-médecin, at moderate levels. However, this trend needs to be confirmed, as bronchiolitis activity has just been classified as an epidemic. Nineteen RSV cases were isolated by the Rouen University Hospital laboratory.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis activity is decreasing from a high level at SOS-médecin and is also decreasing at a moderate level in emergency departments. The incidence of acute diarrhea is decreasing and is at a level comparable to previous years during the same period.