As in Martinique and Guadeloupe, influenza surveillance indicators in towns and hospitals are on the rise in Saint-Martin.
For three consecutive weeks, the number of estimated weekly consultations for influenza-like illness in city medicine has increased from 45 consultations in early December to 80 in the last week of December, reports Public Health France. Saint-Martin is in the pre-epidemic phase.
The number of visits to the emergency room for flu syndrome increased during the last three weeks of December with six visits at the end of the month against two the week before. “Hospital activity was up sharply last week (19.8/1000 passages), a value well above that observed over the past two years and exceeding that recorded at the peak of the 2018-2019 season (16/1000 passages in 2019)”, comments Public Health France. However, there were no hospitalizations.
In Saint-Barth, an increase in consultations was also observed in December with 31 consultations during the third week against 28 at the start of the month. Public Health France comments with caution on the figures for the last week (24 consultations) insofar as during the last week of December, several private medical practices were closed.
Two serious cases of influenza have been observed in Martinique and two others in Guadeloupe.
As a reminder, a case of influenza is materialized by a sudden fever above 39°C accompanied by myalgia and respiratory signs.