Key Points

In week 52 (December 22–28, 2025), the first week of the end-of-year school break, the number of emergency department visits increased among those aged 75 and older (+7%, or +4,691 visits), fell sharply among those aged 2–14 (-23%, or -18,480 visits), and declined to a lesser extent among those aged 15–74 (-6%, or -15,583 visits). It remained stable among those under 2 years of age. The number of hospitalizations following visits followed the same trends.

Respiratory indicators continued to rise among children under 2 and adults, with most remaining at levels comparable to or lower than previous years. There was an increase in emergency department visits for:

• influenza/flu-like illness among children under 2 years of age (+40%, or +875 visits), those aged 15–74 (+28%, or +1,512 visits), and those aged 75 and older (+59%, or +1,043 visits);

• acute bronchitis among children under 2 years of age (+5%, or +18 visits) and among adults (+23%, or +431 visits);

• ENT infections among children under 2 years of age (+7%, or 434 additional visits), those aged 15–74 (+13%, or 508 additional visits), and those aged 75 and older (+52%, or 85 additional visits);

• pneumonia among those aged 15–74 (+13%, or +373 visits) and among those aged 75 and older (+28%, or +847 visits);

• asthma attacks among adults (+10%, or +176 visits);

• dyspnea and respiratory failure among those aged 75 and older (+8%, or +171 visits);

• cough among those aged 15–74 (+20%, or +247 visits) and those aged 75 and older (+44%, or +108 visits).

There was also an increase in visits for:

• abdominal pain in children under 2 years of age (+8%, or +43 visits) as well as vomiting and gastroenteritis in adults (respectively +25%, or +316 visits, and +48%, or +741 visits);

• conjunctivitis in children (+16%, or 64 additional visits) and those aged 15–74 (+23%, or 85 additional visits);

• trauma in those aged 75 and older (+11%, or +1,293 visits);

• dehydration, in small numbers, among 2- to 14-year-olds (+14%, or +10 visits) and those aged 15 to 74 (+18%, or +13 visits).