Tue, Aug 03, 2021 page3

• COVID-19: Vigilance, airflow needed to stop outbreaks, experts say

  • By Yang Yuan-ting, Yang Mien-chieh and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer
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  Despite the easing of restrictions after the nationwide COVID-19 alert was lowered to level 2, the public should remain vigilant and ensure good indoor airflow to prevent another outbreak, a hospital director said on Sunday.

  More variants would continue to emerge and vaccinated people might also become infected, but should not have serious symptoms, National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital superintendent Huang Li-min (黃立民) said.

  “We must remain vigilant in the coming months. Anyone failing to follow disease prevention regulations or to stay in quarantine after testing posting for COVID-19 could cause a community outbreak,” he said.

  

  Visitors on Saturday watch a diver interact with fish inside a tank at Penghu Aquarium, which reopened after the nationwide COVID-19 alert was lowered to level 2 on July 27.

  Photo: CNA

  It is imperative that people continue to wear masks and maintain social distancing, even after getting vaccinated, he said.

  “It is best to avoid eating together with groups of people unless everyone in the group has been vaccinated,” he said.

  As SARS-CoV-2 can spread through the air, maintaining good indoor airflow is imperative, National Taiwan University College of Public Health dean Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權) said.

  

  A dog is fogged with disinfectant at a pet disinfecting station outside a supermarket in Hsinchu in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of the Hsinchu City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office

  “This is especially important in spaces where people eat. You should open windows even if you have the air-conditioner on,” he said. “When there is natural airflow, indoor air will be replaced by outdoor air in just 60 seconds.”

  Surfaces including door handles, tables, windows, keyboards and cellphones should also be wiped clean regularly, with an alcohol solution if possible, he said.

  “Since the government has decided not to wait for domestic cases to reach zero before lifting restrictions, there is still a chance that people could become infected in places where there are large gatherings,” Chan said.

  Infectious disease specialist Lee Yuan-chang (李垣樟) said that a recent outbreak among factory workers in Chiayi County showed that the public must remain vigilant everywhere, including in places where there have never been community transmissions in the past.

  In other news, the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office has warned pet owners to ensure that their dogs do not come in contact with sanitizers sprayed throughout parks and other public venues.

  Such sanitizers contain diluted bleach and sodium hypochlorite, which might cause an allergic reaction in some dogs, it said.

  People whose dogs cough or develop swelling on their skin after being outside should wash their fur after returning home, it said.

  Sanitizers should also never be applied directly to a dog’s body, it said, adding that veterinary clinics have animal-safe sanitizers that can be used if requested.

  “Since dogs do not wear shoes or clothing they are exposed to residue from sanitizers left on the ground outside,” veterinarian Lin Tzu-yun (林子筠) said. “Pet owners should wipe their dog’s feet and fur with a clean, dry towel after returning home, and bathe them at regular intervals.”

  Additional reporting by Wu Liang-yi and Chiu Shu-yu
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