The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday issued a level-2 travel alert for Wuhan, China, following a field survey in the city by two Taiwanese experts, as well as Japan and Thailand confirming cases linked to a pneumonia outbreak.
The cause of the outbreak has been identified as a new type of coronavirus, with Chinese authorities saying that as of Wednesday, 41 people had been infected, including six in critical condition and one fatality.
CDC Communicable Disease Control Medical Network commander Chuang Yin-ching (莊銀清) and epidemic prevention doctor Hung Min-nan (洪敏南), who conducted the survey in Wuhan from Monday to Wednesday, yesterday told a news conference in Taipei that 30 percent of the Wuhan patients had no direct exposure to the Huanan Seafood City market, the suspected epicenter of the outbreak.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
During clinical visits, they observed that patients who are obese or have previously undiagnosed illnesses seemed to be at higher risk of serious complications, Chuang said.
The CDC hopes to clarify whether human-to-human transmission is possible, Hung said, adding that “limited human-to-human transmission” was possibly identified during their visit.
Limited human-to-human transmission generally means that people within 1m of an infected person for about 10 minutes could contract a disease, meaning members of the same household or medical professionals treating infected patients are at higher risk, the CDC said.
In the cases of a married couple infected in Wuhan, the husband worked at the market, but the wife, who had not recently been to the market due to limited mobility, might have contracted the illness from her husband, Hung said.
Of the 41 cases in Wuhan, nearly 70 percent had direct exposure to the market, but 13 patients did not, meaning the source of the outbreak remains a mystery, he said.
Possible explanations provided by China include limited human-to-human transmission, a two-week latent period and an unknown source of infection, Hung said, adding that Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to collect animal specimens for research.
Chinese authorities have prohibited people who have had close contact with patients from leaving Wuhan, hoping to curb the spread of the disease, Chuang said.
Taipei would not prohibit Taiwanese in Wuhan from returning to Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said, adding that people traveling to Wuhan should avoid traditional markets and hospitals, as well as contact with wild animals or livestock.
As the Lunar New Year is approaching, the agency said that it has intensified border inspections, while Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said that as it is the high season for influenza, people should get vaccinated as early as possible.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS