The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday announced it was expanding eligibility for government-funded flu anti-viral medication as the number of people treated for flu-like symptoms last week exceeded 65,000.
The centers said that starting yesterday, “family members, colleagues and classmates of people with flu-like illness” would be eligible to receive the drug and the program was to continue until June 30.
Flu activity usually reaches a low in late May, but this year flu cases are still on the increase, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said.
A total of 65,116 cases of flu-like symptoms were reported between May 14 and Saturday last week, CDC data showed — an increase of 2,636 cases compared with the week before.
The dominant flu strain spreading across the nation is the H3N2 strain and a total of 495 serious flu complications have been reported since the start of this flu season on July 1 last year, including 62 deaths, the CDC said.
Chuang said many people would travel over the four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which starts this weekend, and after consulting with medical specialists the CDC has decided to expand the provision of flu medication.
People who develop flu-like symptoms can seek medical treatment at more than 3,000 subsidized healthcare facilities and those who are diagnosed will not need to go through another rapid screening process, he said.
The CDC urged people to take influenza seriously and wear a facial mask when experiencing respiratory tract symptoms, cover the nose and mouth when sneezing, and keep a distance of more than 1m when talking to other people.
It also strongly urged people with flu-like symptoms to rest at home and immediately seek medical attention if serious symptoms occur, such as difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, cyanosis, coughing up blood, thickened saliva, chest pains, an altered state of consciousness or low blood pressure.
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