Focus Taiwan
Date: 02/04/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Feb. 4 (CNA) Seasonal flu was last week confirmed as the cause of five recent deaths, bringing the total for the current flu season to 61, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

According to CDC statistics, from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, a total of 102,013 people sought medical treatment for flu-like symptoms at hospitals and clinics around the country, representing a 13.5 percent decrease from the previous week.

At a press conference, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said most of the five newly-confirmed flu deaths involved people who fell ill during December, and involved four cases of the H1N1 strain, commonly known as swine flu, and one case of the H3N2 strain of the virus.

The deceased were aged 51-90, suffered from chronic illnesses and had not been vaccinated against the virus, Lin said.    [FULL  STORY]