Reported 8 months ago
Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center spokesperson, Tseng Shu-hui, highlighted the latest trends in the COVID-19 pandemic and future projections. During the sixth wave of Omicron outbreak, there was a significant increase in severe cases with 623 new confirmed cases requiring hospitalization last week, compared to 329 the week before, along with a rise in deaths from 20 to 38. Tseng mentioned the dominance of the JN.1 variant and its derivatives, such as KP.2 and KP.3, urging the public to quickly get vaccinated as the XBB vaccine coverage remains low at 11%. Research by the WHO and CDC has confirmed the immune evasive nature of these strains, increasing the overall community transmission risk. Despite this, the severity of the illness post-infection has not shown significant differences. The need for heightened vigilance, especially against the more transmissible 'KP virus,' was emphasized, alongside the reminder that XBB vaccines significantly reduce the risk of severe outcomes or death post-infection. Data showed a notable increase in elderly individuals testing positive, leading to a 20-30% rise in hospitalization rates for these groups.
Source: YAHOO