TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan saw an increase in people seeking medical treatment for COVID last week amid the seventh wave of Omicron-driven COVID-19 infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
CDC Spokesperson Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said that from April 27 to May 3, there were 5,853 COVID-related emergency and outpatient visits, a 78% rise from the previous week and the highest level this year, per CNA. However, this is still only about one-third of the 19,334 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Lo said the peak is likely to occur in May or June. It has been six months since the last wave and a new JN.1 vaccine has been introduced, so Lo said it is uncertain whether this wave will surge or plateau.
What is certain is that the epidemic is expected to rise in May, said Lo. He estimated that the peak will only reach about one-half to one-third the height of the previous wave.
Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳), deputy director of the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center, said that from April 29 to May 5, Taiwan recorded 33 new severe domestic COVID cases and four deaths. So far this year, there have been 203 severe domestic cases and 37 deaths, most of them among seniors over 65 or people with chronic conditions, of which 91% had not received the JN.1 vaccine.
Among the new severe cases, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said the four-year-old girl from central Taiwan had no underlying health conditions and had never been vaccinated against COVID. She began showing symptoms in April, a cough with phlegm and mild fever, and was treated with antibiotics at a clinic, but her condition did not improve.
In early May, her fever and coughing worsened, and her appetite and activity levels decreased, along with difficulty breathing. According to Lin, four days after her symptoms worsened, she was taken to the emergency room, where doctors found low blood oxygen levels and respiratory distress.
A chest X-ray showed bilateral lung infiltrates. Tests revealed elevated white blood cell counts and inflammation markers, and a PCR test confirmed she was positive for COVID.
She was diagnosed with COVID–related pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome and admitted to the ICU for antiviral treatment. She is currently in her third day of hospitalization, and her consciousness and vital signs are stable, but she is still experiencing shortness of breath and continues to receive intensive care treatment.
