#19,335
A little over 2 weeks ago (Aug 28th), Japan announced the earliest start to their influenza season since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (see Japan MHLW Reports Unusually Early Start to the Fall Flu Season), while last week Taiwan reported `. . . emergency room visits reached 11.2%, exceeding the epidemic threshold (11.0%), indicating the start of the epidemic period.'Four days ago (Sept 11th) South Korea announced the early start to their flu season, and recent reports from China suggest flu is gaining ground in their southern provinces.
While all of this is unusually early flu activity, Hong Kong - which often sees a biphasic (summer & winter) flu season - continues to report substantial flu (see Update on cluster of Influenza A cases in TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital) as well.
Today Taiwan's CDC has updated their flu report, and is urging the public to take precautions and to be aware of early warning signs of severe illness.
(translation)Both influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic are currently in their peak season, with influenza cases continuing to rise
The public is urged to implement self-protective measures such as frequent handwashing and wearing masks, and to be aware of the risk signs of severe illness.
Release Date: 2026-09-15 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated today (September 15th) that both influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic are currently in their epidemic season, and the influenza epidemic continues to rise. The public should strengthen their precautions against influenza and COVID-19, and practice good handwashing, cough etiquette, and wear masks when entering crowded or poorly ventilated places. If symptoms appear, people should wear masks, seek medical attention, and rest at home to reduce the risk of transmission.
The CDC pointed out that the domestic influenza epidemic is rising and in its epidemic season. In the 36th week (September 6th-12th), there were 136,796 outpatient and emergency room visits for influenza-like illnesses, an increase of 16.5% compared to the previous week.
Additionally, last week (September 8th-14th), there were 92 new cases of severe influenza complications (79 H1N1, 5 H3N2, and 8 untyped A cases) and 21 deaths (18 H1N1, 2 H3N2, and 1 untyped A case).
Laboratory monitoring data shows that the influenza virus currently circulating in the community is mainly type A, with type A H1N1 accounting for 82.2%. This flu season (114-115), there have been 1,421 cumulative severe cases (800 H1N1, 503 H3N2, 28 untyped A, 90 B) and 274 deaths (149 H1N1, 104 H3N2, 9 untyped A, 12 B), with most severe cases occurring in people over 65 (65.0%) and those with chronic conditions (82.7%), and 68.3% had not received this season’s flu vaccine.
According to data from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan is declining, but it is still in its epidemic period. In week 36 (September 6-12), there were 17,847 outpatient and emergency room visits related to COVID-19, a 13.3% decrease compared to the previous week (August 30-September 5). Last week (September 8-14), there were 53 new locally transmitted severe cases and 18 local deaths. Since October 2025, there have been a cumulative total of 675 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 complicated by severe illness, of which 124 have died. Severe cases are predominantly among those aged 65 and above (73.3%) and those with a history of chronic diseases (82.8%). 83.6% of these cases have not received the COVID-19 vaccine this season. In the past four weeks, the most prevalent local variants have been NB.1.8.1 and PQ.16.1.1.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reminds the public to pay attention to their health as temperatures gradually cool in autumn. Those who are at high risk of influenza, including themselves and their families, should be especially vigilant. If they experience flu-like symptoms such as fever or cough, they should wear a mask, seek medical attention promptly, or rest at home. If they experience any warning signs (such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, cyanosis, bloody sputum, chest pain, altered consciousness, or low blood pressure), they should seek medical attention immediately. A doctor will assess whether they meet the eligibility criteria for publicly funded antiviral influenza medication to ensure timely treatment and reduce the risk of severe complications.
Whether any of this translates to an early flu season for North America or Europe remains to be seen. The most recent data from the CDC suggests that influenza and RSV activity remains very low, and COVID is only slightly elevated.
While it is impossible to predict exactly what kind of winter respiratory season we'll see, past experience suggests it isn't something we should take lightly. Last year's `moderately severe' flu season is estimated to have caused:
Which is why I'll be rolling up my sleeve again in the next few weeks for both my flu and COVID shots, and I won't hesitate to wear a face mask this winter in crowded indoor public places.
