Taiwan declares an epidemic period for influenza
Seasonal influenza in Taiwan has entered an epidemic period. From August 30 through Saturday last week, 115,136 medical visits for influenza-like illnesses were recorded, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control reported. Taipei Times reported this.
According to Guo Hong-wei, director of the Epidemic Intelligence Center, 11.2% of these visits were to emergency departments. The figure exceeded the epidemic threshold of 11%. The most common identified strain was influenza A(H1N1).
From Tuesday last week through Monday, 105 severe influenza cases and 19 related deaths were confirmed. More than 80% of these patients had or previously had chronic illnesses. Lin Ming-cheng, deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control, said the number of visits for influenza-like illnesses was the highest for the corresponding week in the past decade and, according to the agency’s forecast, will increase over the next four weeks.
Severe COVID-19 case in an infant
The number of medical visits for COVID-19 during the same period was 20,199 — slightly lower than a week earlier, but still at a relatively high level. From Tuesday last week through Monday, 73 severe COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths were also confirmed.
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Among the severe cases was a boy less than one month old with no underlying conditions. The CDC called him the youngest patient with severe COVID-19 recorded in Taiwan. Due to his age, the child was not eligible for vaccination. At the end of last month, the infant developed a mild fever and nasal congestion, and after his condition worsened, he was hospitalized and transferred to the intensive care unit due to breathing difficulties. The child was diagnosed with pneumonia. Contact tracing established that the infant had been in contact with a person who had COVID-19.
New hepatitis C cases
The CDC also reported two more cases of acute viral hepatitis C linked to a cluster at the Antai Songhe clinic in New Taipei. The agency had previously reported 11 confirmed cases among people who received injections at the facility.
Blood tests were recommended for 1,118 people who received injections at the clinic from July 1 last year through August 27. As of Monday, 1,096 people had received notifications, and 353 had undergone testing. The two new patients include a woman in her 60s with no symptoms and a man in his 50s who was hospitalized due to loss of appetite, dark urine and general fatigue.
