Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Oct 01, 2026 35 minutes ago
A Fresh Rise Draws Attention
France is seeing renewed COVID-19 activity, with consultations for suspected infection climbing 19 percent in one week. Figures released by Santé publique France on September 30th show respiratory illnesses gaining ground, although the indicators remain at levels comparable to previous years.
COVID-19 consultations rise in France alongside other respiratory illnesses
The findings cover September 21st through 27th, 2026, and draw on two surveillance networks: SOS Médecins, which tracks community medical consultations, and Oscour, which monitors emergency departments. As this
Thailand Medical News report explains, the increases indicate growing demand for care involving respiratory symptoms, rather than a confirmed count of every new COVID-19 infection.
COVID-19 Consultations Climb Across Age Groups
SOS Médecins recorded 173 additional consultations for suspected COVID-19 infection, representing a weekly increase of 19 percent across all ages. This measure concerns patients assessed for possible infection; it should not be interpreted as 173 additional laboratory-confirmed cases.
Emergency departments also registered an increase. Among adults, visits for suspected COVID-19 rose 22 percent, equivalent to 114 additional visits compared with the previous week.
That distinction matters: the hospital increase specifically concerned adults, while the community consultation increase covered all age groups. Neither figure, by itself, establishes how many people developed severe disease or required admission.
Other Respiratory Illnesses Are Rising Too
The latest community figures show that COVID-19 is part of a broader respiratory upswing. Consultations for influenza or flu-like illness among adults increased 26 percent, adding 719 visits. Bronchitis consultations rose 21 percent across all ages, equivalent to 692 additional encounters.
Upper respiratory illnesses among adults increased 9 percent, with 1,457 additional consultations. Among people aged 75 and older, consultations for pneumonia increased 26 percent, adding 60 encounters.
Infants were also affected. SOS Médecins consultations for bronchiolitis among children younger than one increased 12 percent, or 17 additional visits. In emergency departments, bronchiolitis visits in that age group rose 16 percent, adding 124 visits.
What the Numbers Really Show
Despite these increases, overall SOS Médecins activity remained stable across age groups. Total emergency visits and hospitalizations following emergency attendance also remained stable. Rising respiratory indicators therefore do not mean that every part of the healthcare system experienced an overall surge.
These are surveillance findings, rather than results from a clinical trial. Their strength lies in identifying changes in healthcare use; their limitation is that suspected diagnoses cannot establish the true
number of infections circulating nationwide.
France’s latest figures warrant continued attention because several respiratory illnesses are increasing simultaneously. However, suspected COVID-19 consultations, emergency visits, and confirmed infections are different measures, and the current data do not demonstrate an unprecedented outbreak.
References:
https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/sites/default/files/2026-09/bullnat_oscour_20260930.pdf
https://www.sentiweb.fr/
https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/surveillance-syndromique-sursaudr/bulletins-sursaudr-sos-medecins-oscour-mortalite
https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/en/covid-19/what-we-do
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
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