As flu season continues to worsen nationwide, the weekly number of emergency department visits (ED visits) due to flu-like illnesses has increased slightly from the previous week to 101,364, and the percentage of ED visits has also been growing. Furthermore, the recent cold wave could cause the flu virus activity to rise as citizens seal off their windows and doors to beat the cold, leading to an increasing risk of virus transmission. In order to prevent a flu epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has implemented a “Responsive Plan for Influenza Epidemic Peaks” and reminds the public to pay attention to indoor air ventilation, hand hygiene, and coughing manner; if citizens experience flu-like symptoms, they should wear masks, go to their nearest doctor or hospital as soon as possible and take medications as prescribed.
The CDC stated that, in order to mitigate the threat of a flu epidemic to the public’s health, prevention tasks of the responsive plan, such as reinforcing epidemic monitoring, extending the coverage of influenza antiviral drugs, enhancing the quality of acute and critical care and resource allocation and strengthening risk communication, will be constantly promoted and implemented. The CDC also reminds related authorities to strengthen infection prevention and control measures for institutions like medical institutions, army barracks, schools, and long-term care institutions and correctional institutions with high densities, so as to prevent a flu outbreak.
In addition, the CDC has distributed government-funded influenza antiviral drugs among more than 4,000 contracted medical institutions in counties and cities nationwide and reminds the public not to underrate the severity of influenza and to go to their nearest doctor or hospital if they experience flu-like symptoms. If a patient is considered to be eligible for government-funded influenza antiviral drugs based on a physician’s clinical judgment (see the eligibility criteria in the attachment), antiviral drugs can be prescribed without rapid influenza diagnostic tests being conducted. High-risk groups, including adults aged 50 and above, infants and toddlers, high-risk chronic disease patients and pregnant women, should take notice of their health conditions; upon feeling unwell, please go to a doctor or hospital as soon as possible to seize the best time for earlier treatment and lower the risk of critical conditions.
The CDC re-urges that citizens should clean their hands regularly, wear masks if they have respiratory symptoms, avoid going to crowded public places with poor air ventilation and stay home if feeling sick, in order to prevent virus transmission. Please visit the Taiwan CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov.tw), or call the domestic toll-free dedicated line for epidemic prevention 1922 (or 0800-001922) if you have any questions relating to influenza.