TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday (March 30) announced the country's first death from influenza this year.
During a press conference on Tuesday, CECC Spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) announced that a man in his 80s had died of complications from influenza, marking the country's first death from the disease since October 2020. Chuang said that the man had a history of chronic illness and had not gotten the flu shot.
On March 21, the man began to experience vomiting and shortness of breath. He sought medical treatment and was admitted into a hospital.
After being diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, he was transferred to an intensive care unit for treatment. On March 25, he tested positive for Influenza A.
On March 27, the patient was diagnosed with severe influenza. That same day, the patient's condition deteriorated, and he died.
According to data from Taiwan's Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), there were 29,261 reports of influenza-like symptoms at outpatient wards and emergency rooms across the country from March 21 to 27, representing a lull in new cases in recent weeks. Over the past four weeks, the most commonly reported respiratory viruses reported in the community were adenovirus, followed by herpes simplex virus and parainfluenza virus.
Two severe cases of influenza have been reported since last October. One patient tested positive for H3N2, and the other was the elderly patient diagnosed with influenza A. The number of severe cases and deaths this year has been significantly lower than the last four flu seasons, which ranged between 360 to 966 cases and 56 to 159 deaths.
As of March 28, the total number of publicly funded influenza vaccines for this flu season had reached 6,193 doses. The vaccination rate for people over the age of 65 reached 52.5 percent, and the vaccination rate for preschoolers is 51.1 percent.
On Jan. 30, all Taiwan residents who have not been vaccinated in more than six months became eligible for publicly funded influenza vaccines. Until the vaccines are used up, those who have not gotten the shot are urged to do so as soon as possible to protect themselves and their family members.
In addition, the public is advised to adopt hygienic habits such as frequent hand washing and proper cough etiquette. If a person is experiencing respiratory symptoms, they are advised to wear a mask and cover their mouth and nose with a tissue, handkerchief, or their elbow when sneezing.
The CECC advised maintaining a safe social distance when talking with others. If a person is experiencing flu-like symptoms, they should seek medical attention and get adequate rest.
