The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday adjusted its hospital admission criteria for people with COVID-19 who have mild or no symptoms, while reporting 3,058 new COVID-19 cases.
The new cases include 2,969 domestically transmitted infections, and marked another single-day high and a full week of more than 1,000 cases per day, the center said.
Under the CECC’s new COVID-19 hospital admission criteria for people with mild or no symptoms of the disease, children under three months old who have a fever, or those aged three to 12 months who have a fever of more than 39°C or are undergoing dialysis should be admitted to hospitals for treatment, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
People aged 75 or older who are undergoing dialysis should be admitted to a hospital, but those aged 70 to 74 who can care for themselves or have caregivers should stay in central quarantine facilities or hotels, Lo said.
People aged 69 or younger who are not undergoing dialysis, do not live alone, are not pregnant and otherwise qualify for home quarantine, should remain at home, he said.
People who do not meet the criteria for home quarantine can be assessed by medical personnel for an exemption to isolate at home, he added.
The CECC also adjusted how often a person living with someone who is isolating at home should take rapid tests.
Those who test negative for COVID-19 should isolate at home for 10 days after a person living with them tested positive, and use at-home rapid test kits only if they have symptoms, Lo said.
After the isolation period, they should undergo self-health monitoring for seven days and take a rapid test if they have symptoms, he added.
The CECC also released a list of symptoms that could signal a child has developed a severe case of COVID-19.
Parents should contact health authorities if a child or adolescent displays any of the following symptoms while in quarantine: a fever that lasts longer than 48 hours; a fever higher than 39°C combined with a cold sweat; lethargy, shortness of breath, chest tightness or chest pain after a fever subsides; persistent vomiting, headache, or stomachache; and a period of 12 hours or longer without eating or urinating.
If a child or adolescent has seizures, falls unconscious, has difficulty breathing, a sunken chest, white or purple lips, an oxygen level below 94 percent, or cold extremities combined with mottled skin and cold sweats, parents should call 119 and wait for an ambulance or take the child directly to a hospital.
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