《TAIPEI TIMES》 Medical visits top 110,000 as flu epidemic spreads

健康 國際 地方 蒐奇 影音 財經 娛樂 汽車 時尚 體育 3 C 評論 藝文 玩咖 食譜 地產 專區 TAIPEI TIMES 求職

Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

The seasonal flu has entered an epidemic period, with more than 110,000 medical visits, 19 deaths and 105 severe cases reported last week, the Centers for Disease Control （CDC） said yesterday.

The centers also reported the youngest severe COVID-19 case on record in Taiwan and two new cases of acute hepatitis C linked to a cluster in New Taipei City.

Influenza and COVID-19 viruses were the most common respiratory pathogen spreading locally in the past four weeks, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei （郭宏偉） said, adding that influenza A（H1N1） was the dominant flu strain detected.

There were 115,136 medical visits for flu-like illnesses from Aug. 30 to Saturday last week, 11.2 percent of which were emergency cases, surpassing the epidemic threshold of 11 percent, he said.

“We have entered the flu epidemic period,” he said.

A total of 105 severe flu cases and 19 flu-related deaths were confirmed between Tuesday last week and Monday, and more than 80 percent of them have or had chronic underlying conditions, he said.

As for COVID-19, there were 20,199 medical visits from Aug. 30 to Saturday last week, slightly lower than the week before, but still at a relatively high level, he said, adding that 73 severe cases and 15 deaths were confirmed between Tuesday last week and Monday.

Among the severe COVID-19 cases was a less than month-old baby who does not have underlying health conditions, and is not eligible for vaccination, making it the youngest severe case on record, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching （林詠青） said.

The boy had a mild fever and nose congestion late last month and was taken to see a doctor the next day, but as his symptoms persisted, he was hospitalized this month and later transferred to an intensive care unit when he experienced difficulty breathing and respiratory distress, and was confirmed to have pneumonia, he said.

Contact tracing found that the boy had been exposed to a person who has COVID-19, Lin added.

CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Min-cheng （林明誠） said that medical visits for flu-like illness last week was the highest of the same week in a decade, and is expected to continue increasing in the next four weeks.

While COVID-19 cases have dropped, severe cases and the number of deaths remain high, he added.

The CDC also provided an update on a cluster of confirmed acute viral hepatitis C cases traced to a clinic in New Taipei City, with two more cases identified through expanded testing, Lin Min-cheng said.

The CDC last week reported 11 confirmed cases who all received injections at the Antai Songhe Clinic （安泰淞鶴診所）.

With the onset of symptoms occurring between Jan. 29 and Aug. 18, 1,118 people who received an injection at the clinic between July 1 last year and Aug. 27 are urged to get a blood test, it said.

As of Monday, 1,096 people have been notified and 353 have ben tested, Lin Min-cheng said.

Two were confirmed to have acute viral hepatitis C — a woman in her 60s who is asymptomatic and a man in his 50s who has symptoms including loss of appetite, dark urine and general fatigue, and has been hospitalized for treatment, he said.

Experts had estimated that the positivity rate would be about 5 percent, but so far only two had been confirmed among the 353 tested, which is an encouraging sign, he said, adding that testing and follow-ups were ongoing.

Symptoms of acute viral hepatitis C may vary, so the absence of symptoms does not necessarily mean no infection, he said, urging those who have been notified to get tested as soon as possible.

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