While rosy cheeks can be a sign of health in young children, that was certainly not the case for a six-year-old boy whose pink cheeks were recently identified as the symptom of a virus.
According to Reshining Clinic deputy superintendent Pan Chun-shen (潘俊伸), the boy’s parents thought the red blotches on his cheeks were caused by warm weather, until they started spreading to his torso and limbs a few days later.
“The rashes were slightly itchy and were accompanied by fever and a runny nose, which led the clinic to diagnose the boy with parvovirus B19 infection, a common illness in children that is sometimes referred to as slapped-cheek syndrome or the fifth disease,” Pan said.
Photo provided by Pan Chun-shen
Parvovirus B19 is transmitted primarily by respiratory secretions, but can also spread through blood or blood products. Red rashes on the face or other parts of the body generally appear four to 20 days after infection.
Pan said the illness is most prevalent among children aged between five and 15 and tends to occur in spring and early summer.
“In the early stages symptoms are similar to those of a respiratory infection, such as a runny or blocked nose; it often cannot be identified until the rash becomes visible,” Pan said, adding that the disease is no longer contagious after the rash appears.
Pan said that while there is no specific medicine to treat the condition, parents can purchase antipyretics or drugs designed to assuage coughing and clear blocked noses to ease symptoms.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it