CDC reports 932 COVID hospitalizations, 64 deathsFLU CONTINUES: Hospitals reported 101,091 visits for flu-like illnesses last week, while 68 severe cases and 16 flu-related deaths were also reported, the CDC saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported 932 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and 64 related deaths for last week, adding that the number of people who had contracted new SARS-CoV-2 subvariants KP.2 and LB.1 has increased. The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 increased from 815 in the previous week to 932 last week, while 90 percent of the 64 deceased were aged 65 or older, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said. JN.1 was still the dominant variant among local and imported cases in the past four weeks, while KP.2 was the second-most common, Lin said. One of the COVID-19 related deaths last week was a teenage boy with epilepsy, who did not receive the updated vaccine, Lin said. Flu-induced pneumonia is more common, but complications of encephalitis and myocarditis at the same time are relatively rare, he said.
