The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 increased slightly last week and is expected to continue rising, so people should get vaccinated against the disease, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday as it reported 110,210 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses and 11 flu-related deaths last week.
The average number of hospitalized moderate-to-severe COVID-19 cases last week was 39 per day, slightly higher than the average of 35 per day the previous week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said.
The number of prescriptions for oral antiviral drugs to treat COVID-19 also rose slightly last week, Lee said.
Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control
The latest wave of COVID-19 reached its peak in late June and weekly cases had been steadily falling for the past four months, but they increased last week and are expected to continue rising, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-huai (曾淑慧) said.
COVID-19 infections might peak by the end of December, with an estimated 22,000 to 24,000 new cases per day, Tseng said, adding that as people aged 65 or older accounted for 78 percent of the hospitalizations, the CDC encourages elderly people and high-risk groups to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of severe complications or death.
The Omicron XBB 1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine has been available for elderly people and high-risk groups since Sept. 26, with about 150,000 people receiving shots, she said.
Eligibility from yesterday was expanded to all people aged six months or older, she said, adding that as the vaccine also provides protection against the XBB.1.16, XBB.2.3.2 and EG.5.1 subvariants of SARS-CoV-2, those who are eligible are encouraged to get vaccinated.
The CDC’s SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance data showed that 97 percent of local cases in the past four weeks were infected with Omicron XBB subvariants.
Meanwhile, 110,210 hospital visits for flu-like symptoms were reported last week, while 34 severe flu complications and 11 flu-related deaths were confirmed, Lee said, adding that flu viruses accounted for 39.1 percent of the respiratory viruses identified in the past four weeks, followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at 22.9 percent and adenovirus at 19.3 percent.
One of the severe flu cases reported last week was a four-month-old boy, marking the youngest severe case of this flu season, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
The boy, who had a fever, a cough and a runny nose late last month, did not have any underlying health conditions, Lin said.
The boy was rushed to a hospital two days after the onset of symptoms with loss of appetite and decreased activity, he said.
The child was diagnosed with dehydration and pneumonia, he said, adding that his symptoms eased after he was treated in an intensive care unit for two days.
As flu vaccines are for people aged six months or older, vaccination among parents and caregivers can protect newborns, Lin said, adding that pregnant women are also encouraged to get vaccinated to protect the fetus.
The annual flu vaccination program was launched on Monday last week and more than 1.23 million vaccines had been administered as of yesterday, Tseng said.
People who are eligible are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible, she added.
There were 2,537 new local dengue cases reported last week, with 2,248 cases in Tainan, 168 in Kaohsiung, 50 in Yunlin County, 21 in Chiayi County, 15 in Pingtung County and cases in eight other administrative regions, Lee said.
Nineteen severe dengue cases and five deaths were confirmed last week, she said, adding that 15,747 local infections had been reported so far this year.
The domestic dengue outbreak is probably at its peak and while the number of weekly cases decreased slightly last week, it might have been because fewer people sought medical attention due to the long weekend, Tseng added.
One of the severe cases is a 17-year-old girl who had no underlying health issues, Lin said.
The girl had a fever and dizziness late last month, with other symptoms such as vomiting and nausea after eating developing later, Lin said, adding that she sought treatment at a hospital and was diagnosed with dengue and liver inflammation.
People in areas where dengue is spreading should be aware that continuous abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can be complications of dengue that might be mistaken as gastroenteritis, Lin said.
The CDC reported 12,643 hospital visits for enterovirus infections last week, higher than the epidemic threshold of 11,000 visits per week.
Caregivers of children, especially those aged five or younger, should seek immediate medical attention if children with the disease develop severe complications, the CDC said.
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