H1N1 Virus In Taiwan Kills 13 People In 1 Week
The coronavirus may be the biggest threat in Singapore, but it’s a different story in Taiwan. Seasonal flu proves to be a much bigger threat to them.
On Tuesday (4 Feb), AsiaOne reports that Taiwan has 56 H1N1 flu deaths, otherwise known as swine flu.
In comparison, they reported 10 cases of the coronavirus, with no deaths so far. All victims had a travel history in Wuhan.
The Central News Agency reports that the dead flu victims did not receive a vaccine.
56 H1N1 flu deaths in Taiwan
The H1N1 flu seems to be the most deadly virus in Taiwan for the past few months. A total of 771 influenza cases with severe complications and 56 deaths were reported since 1 Oct.
Patients that died or reported severe cases of H1N1 flu belonged to older age groups.
The patients that died from H1N1 flu were between the age range of 47 to 97. Of the severe cases, 32 percent were between the age range of 50 to 64 and 41 percent were older than 65.
Flu vaccine for prevention
Having a flu vaccine seems to be the best way for people to protect themselves.
Lin Yung-ching from Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control (CDC) was quoted as saying,
None of the 43 patients who died from flu complications in the past 3 months had been vaccinated.
An 80-year-old vaccinated woman caught the virus but eventually died from pneumonia and respiratory failure.
To prevent an outbreak, the CDC has implemented a seasonal influenza vaccination campaign. They offered free vaccines to students, senior citizens, and health care workers.
Get vaccinated
The H1N1 may be a bigger threat than the coronavirus in Taiwan, but you can effectively protect yourself.
If you’ll be traveling to Taiwan, then get vaccinated prior to your flight. While older vaccinated people may still catch the virus, it will help your immune system fight the flu. Don’t forget to get your kids vaccinated too!
How are you protecting your family from the flu? Let us know in the comments.
Featured image from Facebook and Freepik.
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