COVID-19 infections are rising in the nation, with 328 hospitalization cases recorded last week, an increase of 25 percent compared with the previous week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that the outbreak might continue into August or September.
Twenty people died of the disease last week, fewer than the previous week, the CDC said.
According to the numbers of newly reported COVID-19 diagnoses, hospitalizations, deaths and prescribed anti-viral drugs, COVID-19 activity is rising and has entered an epidemic period, which is the most recent outbreak since the Lunar New Year holiday, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.
Photo: CNA
The incidence rate of local COVID-19 cases rose to 1.53 per 100,000 people, compared with 1.47 per 100,000 people in March last year, when the viral activity was relatively low and steady, she said.
Genomic surveillance data in the past four weeks show that the JN.1 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2 accounted for 64 percent of local cases and 59 percent of imported cases, while the new subvariant KP.2 accounted for 10 percent of local cases and 22 percent of imported cases, and another new subvariant KP.3 was responsible for 9 percent of both local and imported cases, Guo said.
The increase in COVID-19 activity might be caused by the emerging subvariants, as the rate of positive tests around the world is also increasing, except in a few regions, Tseng said.
The CDC predicts this new outbreak might cause cases to fluctuate, and could continue until August or September, she said.
People who develop a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat or other suspected symptoms are advised to take a COVID-19 antigen rapid test at home, she added.
Since the XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine became available on Sept. 26 last year, only about 2.76 million doses of the vaccine have been administered, accounting for about 12 percent of the population, Tseng said.
However, up to 95 percent of the cumulative hospitalized cases and deaths did not get the updated vaccine, she said, urging people at a higher risk of developing severe complications to get vaccinated.
CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said two hospitalized cases last week were one-year-old boys who did not have underlying health conditions, but were unvaccinated.
Both developed a high fever of more than 40oC, and were hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath and other symptoms, Lin said, adding that both have been discharged from hospital.
The CDC also reported a 4.9 percent increase in weekly hospital visits for enterovirus infection to 17,967 last week.
Although the CDC has determined that the peak of the enterovirus outbreak has passed, weekly hospital visits have increased for two straight weeks, and the number is expected to continue fluctuating until the summer vacation begins, so schoolchildren should still practice good hygiene and preventive measures, Tseng said.
Children aged five or younger are at a higher risk of developing serious illness from the infection, so caregivers should keep a close watch over infected children and immediately seek medical attention if they show any signs of severe complications, she said.
The CDC also reported the first local case of dengue fever in five weeks — a man in his 20s in Kaohsiung.
Tseng said the last reported locally acquired dengue case was in late April, and the CDC is conducting genome sequencing to see if the new case is associated with the previous outbreak.
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