More than 500 new high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) machines have been delivered to hospitals across Taiwan to help treat severe cases of COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said on Friday.
The delivery of 550 HFNC oxygen supply systems to 97 hospitals came as the nation’s death toll from COVID-19 rose to more than 700 out of more than 15,000 confirmed cases, or a mortality rate of 31 deaths per million people.
Taiwan’s mortality rate among reported cases is higher than the single-digit figures in China (3), Singapore (6) and Vietnam (1), according to statistics Web site Worldometers.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare purchased 500 HFNC machines for a combined NT$100 million (US$35,604), while 50 units were donated by a supplier, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman.
The machines are in high demand because they can perform better than regular respirators, and can be used 11,000 times, he said.
The machines were delivered in two stages, said Ku Shih-chi (古世基), a National Taiwan University Hospital doctor and Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine member, who helped with the distribution of the machines.
The first 200 units were given to major hospitals in Taipei and New Taipei City, such as Far Eastern Memorial Hospital and Shuang Ho Hospital, where many people with severe cases of COVID-19 have been treated, Ku said.
In the second stage, the rest of the machines mostly went to ministry-supervised hospitals based on their medical capacity, he said.
Taoyuan General Hospital received 84 HFNC machines, the most of any hospital, the ministry said.
Taipei Hospital and Tainan Hospital followed with 42 and 30 machines respectively, it said, adding that the three outlying counties of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu also received HFNC devices.
The oxygen systems can be used on patients who are awake in a prone position, allowing them to eat without help, which reduces the chance of infection for hospital staff, health workers say.
Tan Che-kim (陳志金), a doctor who works in the intensive care unit at Chi Mei Hospital, said that the devices can also help avoid intubation and improve survival rates.
Intubation is considered one of the riskiest medical procedures, because it is performed with a patient’s mouth open, which raises the chances of medical staff becoming infected.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS