The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday confirmed one death from COVID-19, bringing the total to 11 since the outbreak began, and one new imported case.
The person, who died on Friday, was a Taiwanese in his 60s with a chronic illness, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), the CECC’s spokesman, told a news conference.
The man, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 24, about five days after showing symptoms, was one of the 21 people who contracted the disease in a cluster infection at Taoyuan General Hospital, Chuang said.
His condition deteriorated after he was admitted to the hospital, Chuang said, adding that he was put on a respirator and an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine.
Eventually, his condition improved and he was removed from isolation on Feb. 22 after he was deemed to no longer be infectious, but he remained at the hospital to be treated for other diseases, Chuang said.
He was taken off the ECMO machine on March 17, but began experiencing shortness of breath, low blood pressure and serious arrhythmia on Thursday, Chuang said, adding that he died the next day from pneumonia complicated by septic shock.
One imported case from the US was also reported yesterday.
The case is a Taiwanese in her 20s, who returned home on April 3 with a negative COVID-19 test report issued within three days of her flight, Chuang said, adding that she reported having no symptoms upon arrival.
However, while in home quarantine, she developed a cough, a runny nose and nasal congestion, diarrhea and a partial loss of smell, and she was confirmed as having COVID-19 yesterday after being tested on April 9, Chuang said.
He said that 18 people who came in contact with her on her flight have been identified.
Three of them were seated within two rows of her, and they have been asked to isolate at home.
The others were cabin crew members who have all since left Taiwan, Chuang said, adding that the CECC would report the situation through the International Health Regulations (IHR) mechanism.
The new COVID-19 case has brought the total number of cases in Taiwan to 1,057, of whom 24 are being treated in isolation wards.
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