Infectious disease experts yesterday urged the public not to take the threat of COVID-19 lightly, especially people with pre-existing conditions, as early treatment could save lives.
As domestic cases yesterday broke the 10,000 mark, the Ministry of Health and Welfare predicted that the daily count could reach 18,000 by tomorrow and 37,000 by Thursday next week.
The Infectious Diseases Society of Taiwan (IDS) and Infection Control Society of Taiwan in the morning issued a joint statement providing context to the outbreak.
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been associated globally with low hospitalization and death rates, the groups said.
However, after battling outbreaks for years, the vast majority of people in other countries have developed antibodies after either recovering from COVID-19 or receiving vaccinations, they said.
Taiwan has not had a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak before this year, posing greater danger to the unvaccinated and susceptible populations, the statement said, urging people not to underestimate the threat, even if the majority of cases are mild.
Photo: CNA
Considered at-risk are people older than 65 and those with certain pre-existing conditions, said IDS chairman Wang Fu-der (王復德), who also serves as chief of the infectious diseases unit at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
These conditions include diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, tuberculosis, chronic liver disease and obesity, Wang said.
Pregnancy is also a risk factor, as well as conditions and substances that affect the immune system, such as prolonged use of steroids or other immunosuppressants, he added.
It is important that at-risk people receive early treatment to prevent serious symptoms developing, Infection Control Society of Taiwan chairwoman Chen Yee-chun (陳宜君) said.
Oral antivirals are readily available, but the key is to take advantage of the “golden window” for treatment within five days of the onset of symptoms, said Chen, who is also director of National Taiwan University Hospital’s Division of Infectious Diseases.
If notified as a close contact or presenting symptoms, Chen said to follow a “three-by-three” strategy.
First in the plan are three hallmark prevention measures: wear a mask, wash hands and maintain physical distance from others, she said, adding that the next three are tools that actively combat the virus: vaccination, testing and treatment.
Omicron is highly transmissible and has a short incubation period of one to three days, Chen said.
As the number of confirmed cases rises, a certain number of severe cases and deaths are to be expected, even if the vast majority are mild, she said.
“Do not delay treatment by succumbing to the myth that Omicron only causes minor illness,” she said.
Medication is a useful weapon to reduce severe symptoms in high-risk groups, but foregoing vaccination or early testing “would be like giving up the chance to avoid serious illness,” Wang said.
Anyone presenting symptoms or listed as a contact should take a rapid test, he said, adding that early detection means the chance for earlier treatment if a severe case develops.
A New York-based NGO has launched a global initiative to rename the nation’s overseas missions, most of which operate under the name "Taipei," to "Taiwan Representative Office (TRO)," according to a news release. Ming Chiang (江明信), CEO of Hello Taiwan, announced the campaign at a news conference in Berlin on Monday, coinciding with the World Forum held from Monday through Wednesday, the institution stated in the release. Speaking at the event, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) said she believed this renaming campaign would enable the international community to see Taiwan
DEFENSE: The US should cancel the US visas or green cards of relatives of KMT and TPP lawmakers who have been blocking the budget, Grant Newsham said A retired US Marine Corps officer has suggested canceling the US green cards and visas of relatives of opposition Taiwanese lawmakers who have been stalling the review of a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.7 billion) special defense budget. The Executive Yuan has proposed the budget for major weapons purchases over eight years, from this year to 2033. However, opposition lawmakers have refused to review the proposal, demanding that President William Lai (賴清德) first appear before the Legislative Yuan to answer questions about the proposed budget. On Thursday last week, 37 bipartisan US lawmakers sent a letter to Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the heads
TOO DANGEROUS: The families agreed to suspend crewed recovery efforts that could put rescuers in danger from volcanic gases and unstable terrain The bodies of two Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese pilot have been located inside a volcanic crater, Japanese authorities said yesterday, nearly a month after a sightseeing helicopter crashed during a flight over southwestern Japan. Drone footage taken at the site showed three bodies near the wreckage of the aircraft inside a crater on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, police and fire officials said. The helicopter went missing on Jan. 20 and was later found on a steep slope inside the Nakadake No. 1 Crater, about 50m below the rim. Authorities said that conditions at the site made survival highly unlikely, and ruled
The Grand Hotel Taipei on Saturday confirmed that its information system had been illegally accessed and expressed its deepest apologies for the concern it has caused its customers, adding that the issue is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau. The hotel said that on Tuesday last week, it had discovered an external illegal intrusion into its information system. An initial digital forensic investigation confirmed that parts of the system had been accessed, it said, adding that the possibility that some customer data were stolen and leaked could not be ruled out. The actual scope and content of the affected data
RSS