H1N1-related class closures hit high of 1,925 in 802 schools

As of 4 p.m. Friday, 1,925 classes in 802 schools remained closed because of H1N1 infections among the students. The number of affected classes accounted for 1.28 percent of the total, reaching yet another high since the outbreak began, statistics from the Central Epidemics Command Center (CEC) showed.

Chou Jih-haw, deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control, said the situation demonstrates that the H1N1 virus is highly infectious.He urged individuals eligible for priority vaccination to receive the shots as soon as possible.

It usually takes two to three weeks for the vaccine to produce immunity in human bodies, Chou noted.

Meanwhile, there were 10 more patients hospitalized with the flu strain as of Saturday, compared to a day earlier, the CECC said.

The total number of such cases since the outbreak began had reached 692, 31 of which had resulted in death, according to the CECC.

The latest victim was a 45-year-old man in the southern county of Chiayi who had suffered from liver cirrhosis.

He was diagnosed with pneumonia and H1N1 infection after he was hospitalized on Nov.16 for gastrointestinaltract bleeding, according to the county's Health Bureau.

Showing no response to treatment, the patient died Friday of respiratory failure triggered by pneumonia, the bureau said.

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