Health authorities in Beijing Saturday reported two deaths from the H1N1 flu, the newspaper The Beijing News reports.

According to a report from the Beijing Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Preventive Medical Research, both of the female patients already had other diseases and were not inoculated with the H1N1 flu vaccine.

The first patient, a 22-year-old migrant worker who came to Beijing last May, died at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital after being diagnosed last month with the H1N1 flu. The other patient, a 65-year-old cancer patient, had tested positive for the H1N1 flu and died on Friday.

With weeks of record low temperatures hitting Beijing recently, the number of flu infections has become more widespread and are quickly increasing.

Statistics from the CDC indicate that a total of 28,567 flu-infected patients visited second-tier hospitals in the capital last week, surpassing the annual number of visits during each corresponding period since 2008.

Deng Ying, director of the CDC, said the flu would maintain an active spreading trend until the Spring Festival period. He said during the holiday travel period, low-quality sanitation services supplied to travelers with reduced immunity would increase the spread of the virus.

(CRIENGLISH.com January 6, 2013)