Interim Epidemiological Analysis of The SARS CoV 2 Omicron Wave in Taiwan, January June 2022

Interim Epidemiological Analysis of The SARS CoV 2 Omicron Wave in Taiwan, January June 2022

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV 2) Omicron variant appeared in Taiwan in the beginning of 2022 and resulted in the most severe wave of COVID 19 nationwide. At the beginning of this wave, the effective reproduction number (Rt) was around 2 and started to decrease as confirmed patients accumulated. By July 3, a total of 3,840,958 patients were confirmed to have COVID 19. Among them, 16,535 patients had moderate to severe symptoms, whose age ranged between 0 110 years (median: 79 years), and 14,117 (85%) were aged>60 years. The risk for having moderate to severe disease increased with age. These data reflected that the strategies against SARS CoV 2 epidemic in Taiwan had transited from containment/elimination to mitigation. Continued easing of restrictions without exerting excess burden on the healthcare systems will be the next mission.