Marisol Touraine, Minister of Social Affairs and Health asks hospitals to adapt their organization in order to deal with the flu which is approaching the peak of the epidemic. Today, it brought together health authorities to take stock of the surveillance and management of seasonal influenza. The ministry gives instructions to implement without delay all the necessary measures “including by rescheduling activities”. The aim is to strengthen hospitalization capacities and avoid saturation of emergencies. Hospitals are therefore allowed to open additional beds and recall staff.
Providing care despite the epidemic
From the end of December, the ministry called for precautionary measures: awareness-raising and special monitoring of retirement homes and establishments caring for the elderly, and TV and radio spots for prevention and protection of the population, insisting on hygiene and the importance of vaccination. Marisol Touraine recalls that “the flu is not a mild disease: each year, it causes many deaths. Each patient must be immediately taken care of and hospitalized if his condition requires it”. The weekly bulletin of the Sentinelles network lists 395 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the first week of January, i.e. twice the epidemic threshold. The most common strain is the H3N2 virus, with 4 out of 10 flu patients carrying it.
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