More than 3.95 million local COVID-19 cases have been reported this year. Among them 0.25 percent developed moderate symptoms, while 0.19 percent experienced severe symptoms, but the majority — 99.56 percent — were asymptomatic or mild cases. Although most people who had COVID-19 recover fully, some experience lingering health problems after their initial symptoms end, a condition that is commonly known as “post-COVID-19 condition” or “long COVID.”
The WHO defines the condition as an illness in people who have had COVID-19 and experience symptoms and effects within three months of the onset of the disease that last for at least two months and cannot be otherwise explained. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) describes it as a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems that people experience four or more weeks after first being infected with COVID-19.
A meta-analysis published in December last year reviewed 81 studies on the condition, showing that 32 percent of people who had COVID-19 experienced fatigue 12 or more weeks after their initial infection, and 22 percent exhibited signs of cognitive impairment. A US CDC study published in May said that one in five people aged 18 to 64 who had COVID-19 experienced at least one long COVID symptom — such as fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, cognitive difficulties or muscle weakness — and they were at twice the risk of developing a pulmonary embolism or respiratory conditions.
Although people who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 are at higher risk of experiencing the condition, studies have shown that people with mild infections can also develop symptoms. A study published in May by New York-based nonprofit FAIR Health, which analyzed private health insurance claims from 78,252 people diagnosed with post-COVID-19 condition between October last year and January, found that 75.8 percent had never been hospitalized for the disease.
The National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) in December last year launched a comprehensive project to provide multidisciplinary outpatient care and integrated inpatient care at 106 hospitals for people who experience symptoms within six months after an acute COVID-19 infection. Taiwan’s CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) last month said that people treated through the project reported a spectrum of symptoms, including respiratory problems, hair loss, rashes, depression, anxiety, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, “brain fog” and other forms of neurocognitive dysfunction.
The NHIA said on Wednesday that as of Tuesday, 1,917 people had sought treatment through the project, eight of whom sought inpatient care, with people aged 31 to 40 accounting for most of the cases, followed by people aged 41 to 50. The vast majority of the cases were in Taipei and New Taipei City. That is a small proportion of the nearly 4 million cases reported this year, compared with the numbers shown in several large studies in other countries.
However, as there is no agreed upon definition for the condition, no test to diagnose it, and scientists are still trying to unravel the causes, assess its prevalence and identify effective treatments, the government should encourage and support research on the long-term effects of COVID-19. It should also collaborate with medical groups to develop clear clinical guidelines for healthcare providers and educational information for the public, and promote the NHIA project so that people know they can seek care if they develop long-term symptoms.
Healthcare providers should also be encouraged to acknowledge the condition and recognize how the persistent symptoms are affecting people’s lives. Providers should also offer comprehensive care plans to address people’s symptoms with follow-up care to improve their quality of life.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with