Although the peak flu season has ended, people should still take protective measures as 12 flu-related deaths were confirmed last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) also announced that expanded criteria for prescribing government-funded antivirals to treat the flu would be extended until the end of this month, allowing physicians at more than 4,000 contracted clinics and hospitals to prescribe the drugs to people with flu-like symptoms, including foreign nationals with an Alien Resident Certificate.
There were 12,059 emergency room visits for flu-like illness reported last week, down 4.4 percent from a week earlier, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Liu Ting-ping (劉定萍) said, adding that there were 46,433 hospital visits for flu-like illness reported, down 11.6 percent week-on-week.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
In the past two weeks, the two gauges have been lower than in the same period over the past four years and the number of serious flu complications has dropped significantly, indicating that the peak flu season has ended, she said.
Six cases of serious flu complications were reported last week, with the patients aged between 36 and 87, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said, adding that 12 flu-related deaths were confirmed last week, with the patients aged between 28 and 94.
The youngest death was a 28-year-old woman who lived in central Taiwan, he said.
She had diabetes and was obese, and died of septic shock and respiratory failure after nearly a month in a hospital, Lin said, adding that she did not get vaccinated against the flu this season.
As of Monday, 965 serious flu complication cases, including 112 deaths, were reported for this flu season, which started in October last year, he said.
About 43 percent were people aged 65 or older, followed by 32 percent aged 50 to 64, Lin said, adding that 98 percent of all cases did not get vaccinated this flu season.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS