Key Points

• In Week 2 (January 9–15, 2023), emergency department visits and subsequent hospitalizations increased among children aged 2–14 (+10% and +7%, or 5,349 visits and 308 hospitalizations) and decreased among children under 2 and adults.

• In this second week of the new school year, there was a sharp increase in visits and hospitalizations for asthma among children (+43% and +66%, or +539 visits and +218 hospitalizations), which was more pronounced among 2- to 14-year-olds. Among the latter, there is also an increase in visits for trauma (+23%, or +3,580 visits), acute gastrointestinal conditions (abdominal pain +11%, acute gastroenteritis +10% but at a low level), and scarlet fever (+11%, or +18 visits). Finally, suicide attempts are on the rise among children (+13%, or +17 visits) but at a level comparable to previous years.

• Among adults, nearly all monitored indicators are declining. However, there was an increase in visits for trauma (+6%, or +2,863 visits) among those aged 15–74.

• Regarding respiratory epidemics, visits and hospitalizations for influenza/influenza-like illness, suspected COVID-19, and pneumonia continue to decline across all age groups, with the exception of those aged 2–14, where a slight increase is observed for suspected COVID-19 (+23%, or +6 visits). Among children under 2 years of age, bronchiolitis continues to decline, remaining at a level observed in previous years but still sustained.