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.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
RSS