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COVID-19 subvariant XBB set to drive new surge through July: CDC

ROC Central News Agency

05/09/2023 08:41 PM

Taiwan, May 9 (CNA) COVID-19 subvariant XBB may become dominant in Taiwan very soon, creating a new surge of the disease through early July, a senior official with the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Tuesday.

Subvariant XBB, which accounted for 40 percent of the 70 local Omicron cases confirmed during the week April 30-May 6, could replace the current BA.2.75 strain in the near future, CDC Deputy Director General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) said at a weekly briefing.

Among the 29 XBB cases, eight each reported XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16 infections, which are also known as Kraken and Arcturus, respectively, Lo added.

Taiwan reported a daily average of 116 moderate and severe COVID-19 cases from May 3-9, representing a slight increase in daily cases compared with the 114 recorded the previous week, while the daily number of fatalities was also up from 12 to 15 per day on average, according to CDC data.

Of the dead, 95 percent had chronic diseases and 68 percent had not received at least three vaccine doses, while 93 percent were in their 60s or above, the data showed.

The agency continues to track COVID-19 and provides updates at its regular briefing every Tuesday, following the disbanding of the Central Epidemic Command Center on May 1 after COVID-19 was legally downgraded to a less serious disease.

On mpox (monkeypox) cases, the CDC reported 14 local infections over the past week, a new weekly high, with the patients all men aged between 20 and 50.

Among them, five were from Taichung, four from Taipei, two each from New Taipei and Taoyuan, and one from Tainan, the data showed.

Since the disease was designated a Category 2 communicable disease last June, Taiwan has reported 79 mpox cases, 69 transmitted locally and 10 abroad, according to the CDC.

Among the 79 cases, eight remain in hospital, 34 are practicing self-health management at home, while 37 have recovered, the CDC said.

Taiwan also took delivery of mpox vaccine doses on Monday, packaged in 20,000 multi-dose vials that can be used to vaccinate 60,000 people, the CDC said, adding that booking for inoculation appointments will start next week.

(By Chen Chieh-ling and Lee Hsin-Yin)

Enditem/AW