Accumulated cases of serious flu complications and flu-related deaths have hit a decade high this flu season, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, as it reported 20,913 hospital visits for enterovirus infection last week, also a decade high.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said that 68,283 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses were reported last week, which have not yet exceeded the epidemic threshold, but monitoring data showed relatively high numbers of serious flu complications and deaths so far this flu season.
From Oct. 1, the start of this flu season, to Monday, 202 cases of serious flu complications were reported, 83 percent of whom had chronic illnesses and 98 percent had not been vaccinated, she said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
Among the serious flu cases, 26 people died, including 25 who contracted the influenza A(H1N1) virus and one had the influenza A(H3N2) virus, Lee said, adding that all were unvaccinated.
Both numbers of severe complications and deaths so far mark the highest during the same period — between Oct. 1 and Nov. 11 — in a decade, she added.
The youngest case of serious flu complications was a five-year-old girl, who was unvaccinated and developed cold-like symptoms early this month, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
She was rushed to a hospital after losing consciousness and tested positive for influenza A(H1N1), Lin said, adding that she was discharged from the hospital on her fifth day.
The youngest death this season is a woman in her 40s, who had cancer and was unvaccinated, Lin said.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said the seasonal flu has not yet entered an epidemic period, and recent monitoring data suggest it would not arrive early, but likely between early to the middle of next month.
However, experience shows that when influenza A(H1N1) is the dominant virus, there tends to be slightly higher numbers of serious illness and death, he said, adding that influenza A(H3N2) could replace it and become the dominant strain around the Lunar New Year — in late January — next year.
The flu vaccine protects against both influenza A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) strains, so people should get vaccinated as soon as possible, he said.
Meanwhile, enterovirus activity remains high, with 20,913 hospital visits reported last week, an increase of 4.7 percent from the previous week, and the highest of the same week in a decade, Lee said.
A new case of enterovirus infection with serious complications was reported last week — an eight-year-old boy who was infected with coxsackievirus A16, the dominant strain in recent weeks, she said, adding that the boy has recovered after hospitalization.
As the epidemic period for enterovirus is usually between summer and early fall in Taiwan, Lo said hospital visits last week almost exceeded the peak weekly number this summer, and monitoring data suggest the weekly number might continue to increase, reaching an estimated peak of about 22,000 visits per week.
The CDC estimates that weekly hospital visits might start to fall late this month, and possibly drop below the epidemic threshold by the end of the year, he said.
Carers of young children are encouraged to remain vigilant, help children practice good personal hygiene and watch for signs of severe illness, he said.
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology