The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has developed a test kit that can diagnose whether someone is infected with swine flu within six hours, an official said yesterday.
CDC Deputy Director-General Shih Wen-yi (施文儀) demonstrated how the kit works and the procedure for the diagnostic test at the CDC-run Kunyang laboratory in Taipei.
Shih said that the Department of Health (DOH) acquired the key DNA sequence of the new virus strain on April 25 from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and two days later obtained the RNA of the virus from the Miaoli-based Animal Technology Institute of Taiwan.
Using this information, the DOH was able to develop and produce the quick-test kit, which will be distributed for use by the government and some laboratories, Shih said.
Taiwan’s quarantine authorities began to make on-board checks of passengers on flights arriving from Canada and the US on Wednesday in an effort to stop the disease, which has spread to 11 countries since it emerged in Mexico last month, from spreading to Taiwan.
Three categories are used to describe the status of potential infection: under investigation, probable case and confirmed case, and the test kit will be used in the first stage of diagnosis, Shih said.
If someone tests positive using the kit, a laboratory will then conduct virus isolation and virus antibody testing to obtain a more accurate diagnosis, he said.
As of yesterday, 12 out of 18 cases of people suspected to be infected with swine flu had tested negative for the virus.
Final results for the remaining six people, who recently arrived from North America, were not yet available.
Shih said that the CDC would stage an exercise at Taipei Songshan Airport today to simulate how an individual suspected of swine flu would be escorted from the airport to the Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital.
“We need to demonstrate to the public how a suspect swine case will be taken care of,” he said.
Shih said the tests would be carried out at Songshan instead of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport because the public and the media have questioned safety measures at the airport, which sees the second-largest amount of arrivals from China.
Meanwhile, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) inspected the CDC’s storehouse for disease prevention equipment yesterday afternoon.
The CDC has a store of masks that could be distributed to the public if necessary, he said.
“Masks and other disease prevention equipment can be distributed to anywhere in Taiwan proper within 24 hours, and to outlying islands within 48 hours. There is no need for people to buy them in a panic,” Liu said.
Liu said the government would enforce the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act (傳染病防治法) to prevent the hoarding of masks.
Under Article 61 of the act, hoarding medical equipment is punishable by one to seven years in prison and up to NT$5 million (US$150,000) in fines.
Taiwan High Court Prosecutors’ Office Chief Yen Da-ho (顏大和) said that prosecutors have been asked to investigate whether any businesses were trying to illegally profit by raising the price of related medical items.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHIH HSIU-CHUAN
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS