You are planning to spend the holidays with family and may be worried about getting sick or infecting a loved one. Between the flu, Covid, gastroenteritis or even the bronchiolitis virus, there is enough to ruin your holiday meal… Update on the epidemic situation in Europe.
According to information from Public Health Europe, in its weekly bulletin of December 20, the health situation is relatively stable in Europe.
Covid, still present but fairly stable
The Covid-19 virus and in particular the JN.1 variant is still present in circulation in Europe, even if the number of contaminations seems relatively stable, according to findings from SOS Médecins. However, viral circulation remains quite high. Be careful if you plan to meet with several people, especially in the presence of elderly or fragile people.
The peak of bronchiolitis has passed
According to figures from Public Health Europe, there are still 940 children under the age of two diagnosed as carrying the bronchiolitis virus for every 10,000 visits to the emergency room. Even if the figures remain high, it seems that the peak of the epidemic has passed. Indeed, the maximum figures were reached in week 48 and since then, the decline has started for two weeks, while still remaining at a high level.
Gastroenteritis has not started
Feared by many people, gastroenteritis has not yet officially appeared in epidemic statistics this year. Be careful not to relax your vigilance, because mixing people (and shaking hands!) promotes the spread of the virus.
The flu, an epidemic on the rise
According to figures from Public Health Europe, flu and flu-like illnesses are increasing, but at a low intensity, for the moment. Note that the Occitanie, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Grand Est and Bourgogne Franche-Comté regions are entering the epidemic threshold.
How to avoid getting sick or infecting those close to you?
If it is too late to get vaccinated for the holidays, it is still possible to do so, knowing that immunity will take around two weeks to develop.
In the meantime, it is still possible to put in place barrier gestures, to avoid contaminating others during family meals. For this you will need:
- Wash your hands regularly;
- Wear a mask if you are sick, especially in enclosed spaces and when you are in the presence of vulnerable people;
- Cough into your elbow;
- Blow your nose with a single-use tissue;
- Ventilate as often as possible.