Wed, Nov 20, 2024 page3

• Enterovirus infections have likely peaked, CDC says

  PROTECTION: People, especially those who are more prone to severe illness, should get vaccinated against the seasonal flu and COVID-19, an official said

  • By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
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  Weekly hospital visits for enterovirus infection increaseed to 22,313 last week, likely the peak of the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, as it also reported 17 new cases of serious flu complications, including eight deaths.

  CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said 22,313 hospital visits for enterovirus infection were reported last week, a 4.8 percent increase from the previous week and the highest for the period in a decade.

  The dominant strain in the past four weeks was coxsackievirus A16, followed by coxsackievirus A6, he said.

  

  Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei discusses data on flu cases at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times

  Five new cases of enterovirus D68, a strain that can cause more severe respiratory illness or neurological symptoms, were confirmed last week, he said, adding that four had recovered and one remained hospitalized.

  While hospital visits last week rose, the number of emergency visits and suspended classes have slightly decreased, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.

  “The enterovirus outbreak seems to have reached its peak” last week, he said.

  Enterovirus activity is estimated to remain the same or begin to decline this week, but still be at a high level until the end of the month, he said.

  Meanwhile, 68,192 hospital visits for flu-like illnesses were reported last week, Guo said, adding that the weekly numbers have been fluctuating over the past few weeks.

  In this flu season that began on Oct. 1, 219 cases of serious flu complications, including 34 deaths, had been confirmed as of Monday, he said.

  Of the severe cases, 94 percent were infected with influenza A(H1N1), the dominant viral strain, and 98 percent were not vaccinated, Guo said, adding that all of those who died were unvaccinated.

  Seventeen severe cases, including eight deaths, were reported last week, Lo said.

  Although hospital visits were not high, the accumulated severe cases and deaths are the highest of the same period in a decade, he said.

  CDC physician Wu Hao-hsin (鄔豪欣) said that of the newly confirmed deaths, the youngest was a woman in her 40s, who had hyperthyroidism and was unvaccinated.

  She developed cold-like symptoms on Nov. 5, Wu said.

  The woman sought treatment on Monday last week for fever and shortness of breath, and was found with respiratory failure upon arrival, he said, adding that she died the same day.

  As temperatures are dropping, respiratory illnesses are more common, Lo said, adding that people should get vaccinated against the seasonal flu and COVID-19, especially people who are more prone to severe illness.

  As of Monday, about 5.05 million doses of publicly funded flu vaccine had been administered, with about 1.38 million doses remaining, CDC data showed.

  About 1.28 million doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine had been administered after they became available on Oct. 1, CDC data showed.
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