Taipei: Weekly outpatient and emergency visits for flu-like illness in Taiwan have exceeded 115,000, with 105 severe cases and 19 deaths reported, marking a continued upward trend, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday.
According to Focus Taiwan, a total of 115,136 outpatient and emergency visits for influenza-like illness were recorded during the week of August 30 to September 5, reflecting an 11.0 percent increase from the previous week, as stated by CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Kuo Hung-wei. The CDC also reported 105 new severe influenza cases between September 1 and September 7, along with 19 deaths, both of which are highs for the current flu season, which began last October 1 and concludes on September 30.
Laboratory data indicates that influenza A viruses remain dominant in Taiwan, with the H1N1 subtype responsible for 79.4 percent of detected cases, Kuo added. Cumulatively for this flu season, Taiwan has recorded 1,329 severe influenza cases and 253 deaths, as shown by CDC data. Of the total severe cases, 65.1 percent involved individuals aged 65 or older, 82.8 percent had underlying chronic illnesses, and 68.6 percent had not received this season's influenza vaccine.
Meanwhile, the CDC noted that 20,199 doctor visits for COVID-19 were recorded from August 30 to September 5, which represents a 9.7 percent decrease from the previous week. The number of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases leading to death from September 1 to 7 was 15, while there were 73 new severe cases during that period, the CDC reported.