Mon, Mar 02, 2020 page6

• Virus highlights Taiwan’s expertise

  • By Lien Yi-ting 連翊婷
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  It has been more than a month since China implemented an unprecedented quarantine of Wuhan, banning travel in and out of the city from Jan 22. As of Friday, China’s National Health Commission had confirmed 78,824 cases and 2,788 deaths from COVID-19, while Japan and South Korea have also seen a surge in confirmed cases, with countrywide totals of 214 and 2,022 respectively.

  As Asia is shrouded in the shadow of COVID-19, Taiwan, which was expected to be particularly vulnerable to the virus due to its proximity to China, has been containing it in an exemplary fashion.

  Immediately following the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Taiwan established the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), directly supervised by Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), to coordinate at all levels and ensure a multisectoral approach.

  The next day, Jan. 21, the nation’s first case was confirmed, and the patient was sent directly from the airport to a negative-pressure isolation ward after showing pneumonia-like symptoms.

  As the chief commander of the CECC, Chen elaborated on the condition of the first patient, including her travel history, the severity of her symptoms and so on, at a press conference.

  Taiwan immediately alerted China and the WHO about the case. The minister has also hosted news briefings almost every day to inform the public about the latest developments regarding the virus and the government’s plans to address it.

  This high level of transparency has helped contain panic in Taiwan, and has boosted the public’s trust in the government’s response, as well as awareness of prevention measures.

  In addition, Taiwanese officials have taken concrete steps to prevent the spread of the disease. These include stricter border controls, formulating standard operating procedures regarding virus-source tracing and minimizing the risk of transmission within medical facilities, public transportation areas, schools and other public areas by systematically and frequently carrying out disinfections.

  Taiwan has also done a great job preparing medical supplies, such as masks.

  While countries around the world have struggled with shortages and soaring prices for such items, Taiwan has collaborated with private manufacturers to ensure that 4 million masks are produced daily — more than double the production quantity before the virus outbreak. These masks are now available to the public through pharmacies across the nation at a uniform price.

  Of course, not all of these policies are perfect: In the early stages of the mask distribution plan, complaints were prevalent from people who were unable to buy masks before they were sold out. However, the government has successfully taken corrective measures according to the situation as it develops.

  Additionally, Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳), who is responsible for digital technology, has collaborated with Taiwanese software engineers to build digital maps that show the availability of masks using open data provided by health authorities.

  Along with supporting measures, such as crowd management and real-name systems, these technological solutions have succeeded in making the procurement of masks more effective.

  Besides good governance, the high quality of Taiwan’s medical system is noteworthy. So far, only 39 cases of infection have been confirmed in Taiwan. After receiving medical treatment, five of them have recovered and have since been discharged from the hospital.

  Furthermore, a Taiwanese team led by an associate researcher at Academia Sinica has successfully replicated the antiviral drug remdesivir within 14 days.

  As the outbreak of COVID-19 progresses, the degree of preparedness and the responsiveness of Taiwan’s government have demonstrated why the effects of the virus in Taiwan have been much milder than in other Asian countries.

  However, while Taiwan’s experience and ability to fight diseases have been lauded as among the best in the world, it is excluded from the WHO at China’s insistence. As a democracy that shares values such as human rights, transparency and collaboration with core members of the WHO, Taiwan should certainly not be excluded from this organization.

  Pandemics know no boundaries. As many heads of state and officials of WHO member countries have noted, it is high time for the WHO to include Taiwan, because such a move would undoubtedly benefit the world as a whole.

  Lien Yi-ting is a former spokesperson for President Tsai Ing-wen’s re-election campaign office. She has a master’s degree in political communications from the London School of Economics and focuses on issues related to Chinese influence and international relations.
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