Recently, Taiwanese artist “Big S” Barbie Hsu tragically passed away in Japan due to complications of pneumonia while on a trip, just 5 days after falling ill.
According to a tour guide claiming to have accompanied Big S and her family on the Japan trip, details of Big S’s illness, seeking medical help, and passing were revealed on the Chinese social media platform “Xiaohongshu” on February 3. Screenshots of conversations between the tour guide and friends showed that upon their arrival in Hakone, Japan on January 29, Big S began experiencing symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. By the evening of January 31, her condition worsened, and she was rushed to the hospital by ambulance but was not admitted for treatment.
On February 1, the tour guide “took Big S, Little S, her mother, and her husband and returned to Tokyo”. Along the way, they stopped at a small hospital for a check-up, but the hospital was unable to provide the necessary care. They then went to a larger hospital where Big S was diagnosed with influenza A (H1N1), given medication, and taken back to Tokyo. However, in the middle of the night, Big S’s condition deteriorated, prompting the group to call an ambulance which rushed her to the hospital. Sadly, on February 2 at 7 a.m., she was pronounced dead.
The tour guide mentioned that after returning to Tokyo, Big S did not seek immediate medical attention, possibly delaying proper treatment, “It was fine to go to the hospital later.”
Reported by Jiupai News, Big S had a history of epilepsy and had been hospitalized multiple times due to seizures. Additionally, Big S’s mother had previously disclosed that she suffered from mitral valve prolapse.
Dr. Li Zhongyi, Chief of the Intensive Care Medicine Department at the Ninth Hospital of Wuhan City, stated that individuals with underlying conditions such as heart disease and asthma face a significantly increased risk of death after contracting influenza. “For asthma patients, long-term asthma leads to chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes, weakening the respiratory defense function and making them more susceptible to lung infections. Once infected with the influenza virus, these patients are not only more likely to develop severe pneumonia but may also experience serious complications such as respiratory failure due to intensified inflammatory reactions, thus significantly increasing the risk of death.”
The sudden passing of Big S due to influenza A has shocked Taiwanese society. On February 3, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control urgently held a press conference to remind the public that the predominant strain in Asian regions currently is the H1N1 strain, with rising flu cases in Hong Kong, Europe, the United States, and Canada.
Deputy director Tseng Shuhui stated that from October 1, 2024, to February 2, 2025, there were a total of 641 cases during this flu season, with 599 cases of H1N1, 24 cases of H3N2, 9 cases of untyped influenza A, and 9 cases of influenza B. Additionally, there have been 132 deaths, with 127 due to H1N1, 3 to H3N2, and 2 to influenza B.
Tseng Shuhui mentioned that over 90% of the confirmed cases and deaths had not received the flu vaccine for this season. Currently, Taiwan has approximately 200,000 doses of publicly funded flu vaccine remaining and urges those in need to get vaccinated as soon as possible.