While the second wave has not really subsided, and everyone is waiting for the third, the year 2021 begins with an increase in early epidemiological indicators of SARS-CoV-2 circulation of almost 10% in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes. (ARA) in week 53 compared to last week, Public Health France (SpF) reports in its weekly bulletin on 7 January.
English variant: 2 of the 19 identified cases are in the region
SOS Medical Consultations is up + 9% and emergency visits by + 8% in the region. These increases are associated with the incidence increasing the fear of a resumption of the increase in hospital admissions in the next few days, while the region still registers the 4th highest hospital admission rate (14.2 / 100,000) even though 2020 ended with a decrease in hospital admissions. A fear reinforced by the circulation of the English variant UK, of which 2 of the 19 cases identified on 6 January in France, is in the ARA.
After two weeks of massive screening, the number of people tested fell sharply in W53 with indicators that found “a level close to S50”, notes SpF. In W53, the regional occurrence increased by + 9.5% (171/100 000) with a positivity rate of 6.7% (2.9% in W52). However, compared to S50, this incidence increased by only 3%, and the positivity rate was 2.3 points lower, while the number tested was + 39% higher, says SpF. Another positive point: the ARA region currently has the lowest reproduction rate: 0.88 for a national average of 0.99.
In medical-social institutions (EMS), the number of new cases and deaths continues to fall for the 8th week in a row. While a significant excess of mortality is still observed in the region, it has fallen from the high to moderate levels between W52 and W53.
In intensive care, an admission rate is still high in the Rhône
In the Rhône, the situation remains relatively stable with an incidence of 179.9 / 100,000 and a positivity of 6.6% for the week from 31 December to 5 January. Despite 46 new admissions in 24 hours, the number of hospitalized patients is down on 8 January with 950 patients (-16). Contrary to the regional trend, early hospital indicators continued to decline at Hospices Civils de Lyon, where passengers due to Covid fell from 15.9% to 14.76% between W52 and W53 and calls to SAMU, from 7.3% to 6.6%.
Rhône maintains a high rate of hospitalization in intensive care (2.5 / 100,000) and 124 patients were still hospitalized there on January 8 (+14 in 24 hours), but this frequency is now behind Isère and Cantal. Similarly, there have been no excessive deaths in three weeks. However, the ward pays a high price for Covid-19 with 2,832 residents who have died since March 1, including 1,936 (+14 in 24 hours) at the hospital and 896 in EMS.