Taiwan reported 80,223 new COVID-19 cases — 80,195 domestically transmitted and 28 imported infections — and 159 deaths from the disease on Wednesday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
The 159 deaths are the highest-ever reported for a single day in Taiwan since the pandemic began in 2020, CECC data shows.
The deceased ranged in age from their 20s to 90s, and included 157 who had chronic illnesses or other severe disease and 71 who had been unvaccinated.
The CECC also said that 146 previously reported COVID-19 cases had since developed into severe infections, while 198 other patients had developed moderate symptoms of the disease.
Among these new severe cases are three children — a 4-year-old, 10-year-old, 12-year-old — and a 16-year-old teenager, the CECC said.
The 4-year-old girl has epilepsy, and she was admitted to the hospital due to seizures on June 3, where she was found to have low oxygen levels and a fever of 40.7 degrees Celsius.
She tested positive for COVID-19, and while her seizures stopped after her fever subsided, she later experienced difficulty breathing and was put on oxygen support. Doctors have diagnosed her with encephalitis, and she is still being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU), the CECC said.
The 10-year-old boy, meanwhile, has been diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome-children (MIS-C), making him the first-ever MIS-C case in Taiwan. His condition was first made public by a National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) physician on Sunday and has been widely reported in the media.
MIS-C is a rare but serious condition linked with COVID-19 that affects children and causes different body parts to become inflamed. When it affects adults, it is called MIS-A.
The boy tested positive for COVID-19 on April 26 and had a fever that lasted for two days. On May 28, he began to have a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, a rash, swollen extremities, red eyes, vomitting, and diarrhea.
He was admitted to an ICU at NTUH on June 1 and diagnosed with MIS-C, but his condition has since stabilized, the CECC said, adding that he has no underlying health issues.
The 12-year-old boy has a congenital neuromuscular disorder and is bedridden. He began to have a fever on May 24, and was sent to a hospital because of blockage in his respiratory tract due to phlegm on May 27.
He tested positive for COVID-19 while in the hospital and is being treated in the ICU, the CECC said.
The 16-year-old has vasculitis, which is inflammation of the blood vessels, and epilepsy. He tested positive for COVID-19 on May 30 after he began to have a fever, difficulty breathing, and lower energy levels.
He was taken to a hospital the next day and found to have pneumonia. His condition has since stabilized, the CECC said.
The three patients bring the number of children below 13 years old who have developed severe illness due to COVID-19 to 42, of whom 17 have passed away. The addition of the 16-year-old means three 13-18-year-olds in Taiwan have been listed as severe cases, with one of them having died.
Of the 2,512,968 domestic cases recorded in Taiwan this year, 2,941 have been classified as severe infections and 5,124 as moderate, accounting for 0.12 percent and 0.20 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data as of June 7.
In all other cases, the patients were either asymptomatic or had mild infections, the CECC said.
Of the domestic cases reported Wednesday, Taichung reported the highest number, 11,587, followed by New Taipei with 11,443, and Kaohsiung with 11,048.
Taoyuan reported 8,039 cases, Tainan 7,054, Changhua County 5,582, Taipei 5,531, Pingtung County 3,236, Hsinchu County 2,293, Hsinchu City 1,806, and Yunlin County 1,778.
Nantou County recorded 1,705, Miaoli County 1,687, Yilan County 1,420, Chiayi County 1,367, Hualien County 1,223, Keelung 1,115, Taitung County 933, Chiayi City 878, Penghu County 314, Kinmen County 99, and Matsu Islands 57.
To date, Taiwan has recorded 2,620,941 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 2,607,613 domestic infections.
With the 159 deaths reported Wednesday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in the country rose to 3,373, CECC data showed.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel