The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that a surge in respiratory illnesses in China has been caused by at least seven types of pathogens, and small children, elderly people and immunocompromised people should temporarily avoid unnecessary visits to China.
The recent outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China is mainly in the north and among children, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said on Monday.
Data released by the Chinese National Health Commission on Sunday showed that among children aged one to four, the main pathogens were influenza viruses and rhinoviruses, while among children aged five to 14, the main pathogens were flu viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria and adenoviruses, Lo said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
It also showed that among people aged 15 to 59, the main pathogens were flu viruses, rhinoviruses and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), while among people aged 60 or older, the main pathogens were flu viruses, human metapneumoviruses and coronaviruses, he said.
“As temperatures continue to drop, respiratory illnesses in China are expected to continue to increase. The CDC will closely monitor the surge and data released by China to draft disease prevention measures for the Lunar New Year holiday,” Lo said.
As the surge has put a strain on healthcare services in China and making an outpatient appointments could be more difficult, the CDC recommends that young children, elderly people and those with compromised immune systems avoid unnecessary travel to China, Lo said.
If they must visit China, the CDC suggests that they get flu and COVID-19 vaccines before traveling, maintain proper hygiene, wear a mask and wash their hands frequently, he added.
Asked if the surge in China has affected Taiwan, Lo said the weekly reported numbers for flu-like illnesses in Taiwan have dropped for seven consecutive weeks.
Of the identified respiratory viruses in Taiwan in the past four weeks, the most common were flu viruses (32 percent), followed by adenoviruses (26 percent) and parainfluenza viruses (14 percent), he said.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which people are worried about, is not a virus, and data from a medical center shows that it accounted for less than 1 percent of the respiratory illnesses identified at hospital, he said.
However, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection usually causes milder symptoms than the flu, so people might visit clinics for treatment, he said, adding that, in general, an upsurge in respiratory illnesses has not been observed in Taiwan.
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
RSS