1. How Has Taiwan Kept its #Coronavirus Infection Rate So Low?
Taiwan's number of COVID-19 infections is currently below 50, despite the island's proximity to the outbreak's epicenter on mainland China. Experts say early intervention has helped stop a public health crisis.
Taiwan's number of COVID-19 infections is currently below 50, despite the island's proximity to the outbreak's epicenter on mainland China. Experts say early intervention has helped stop a public health crisis.
2. More than 2 months after a new virulent coronavirus emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan, more than 100,000 people in dozens of countries have been infected.
The COVID-19 infection, however, has largely spared Taiwan, despite the island's proximity to the virus's epicenter.
The COVID-19 infection, however, has largely spared Taiwan, despite the island's proximity to the virus's epicenter.
3. When the outbreak first started in January, some experts predicted that Taiwan would have the highest number of cases outside of mainland China. However, while mainland China has had over 80,000 COVID-19 cases to date, Taiwan has kept its number of confirmed cases below 50.
4. Even adjusting for population size (Taiwan is about 1/50th the size of China by population), that is a remarkable achievement, again considering the proximity and flow of people between the two countries.
5. Experts credit Taiwan's early action. Taiwan's govt introduced a travel ban on visitors from China, Hong Kong and Macau soon after the number of coronavirus cases began to rise in mainland China.
6. Additionally, the Taiwan government implemented a ban on exporting surgical masks, ensuring a stockpile in Taiwan.
7. "There are a lot of things that the Taiwanese government was able to do with new technology, and these practices allow them to triage people properly and follow up with appropriate care," said Dr. Jason Wang, a public health policy expert at Stanford University in the US.
8. Dr. Chunhuei Chi, a public health professor at the Oregon State University in the US, said that Taiwan has invested in its biomedical research capacity over the last few decades and research teams have been working to mass-produce a rapid diagnostic test for COIVD-19.
9. Last Sunday, a research team at Taiwan's Academia Sinica developed antibodies that can identify the protein that causes the coronavirus. They aim to produce a new rapid test for the coronavirus that can shorten the time frame for diagnosis to 20 minutes.
10. And although Beijing continues to block Taiwan from rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO), public health expert Wang said that Taiwan continues to share its experience in combating the coronavirus outbreak with other countries.
11. Last week, I sent out a video (along with an English translation) that claims it is based on a test invented by doctors in Taiwan. I don't know how accurate it is, but it talks about a very simple self-administered test. Could be helpful.
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