With people hitting the road during the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday, a healthcare expert advised preparing six types of protection as a safeguard against COVID-19 and other types of diseases.
First is preparing drugs to treat COVID-19, flu and cold symptoms, including fever, pain, runny nose, cough and sputum, Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations spokesman Huang Yen-ju (黃彥儒) said, adding that parents can prepare liquid solutions for children who do not know how to take pills.
Many people have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, so even if they contract the virus, they are likely to be sick for about five days only, he said.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
Acetaminophen (Panadol, Tylenol and other brands) is commonly used to treat fever and pain, he said.
The typical dosage is one 500mg tablet at a time for up to four times a day, he said, warning that overdosing could cause acute liver damage, so people with liver disease have to be especially careful about how much they take.
Ibuprofen is a type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is also widely used to relieve pain and inflammation, but it can cause stomach irritation or ulcers, and some people might have an allergic reaction to it, he said.
Many people think that if taking a pill does not work, they should take two or three more, but that could lead to an overdose, Huang said.
If taking one pain reliever is not enough, they should consider taking another type of pain reliever with different ingredients or metabolic pathway and ask a pharmacist on how to take such drugs, he said.
Antihistamines are often used to relieve a runny nose, sneezing, or skin allergies, especially in the winter, when many symptoms of allergies worsen, he said.
First-generation antihistamines work by affecting the histamine receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and can cause sleepiness, while second-generation antihistamines, which do not cross the blood-brain barrier and hence do not cause drowsiness, which would be better for people who need to drive or concentrate, he said.
Second is masks and alcohol-based hand sanitizers, Huang said.
While surgical masks are good, people taking long-haul flights could consider using N95 respirators, especially if passengers nearby show symptoms of respiratory problems he said.
Third is having at-home COVID-19 rapid test kits, a pulse oximeter and a thermometer, he said, advising people to take a rapid test when they develop symptoms to protect their travel companions, and to have a pulse oximeter at hand if their travel companion has underlying health conditions.
The fourth is essential medicine for travelers, such as drugs for allergies or motion sickness, he said, adding that people who are traveling to countries with lower hygiene standards should prepare drugs to treat diarrhea or topical ointments for outdoor injuries.
The fifth is medicines for chronic health conditions, Huang said.
People who need to refill their prescriptions for chronic illnesses can do so from Jan. 10, while those traveling abroad for more than a month can refill their prescription for up to three months by presenting their plane ticket and an affidavit, he said.
Lastly, people should have their medical records on hand, he said.
They can download the National Health Insurance Administration’s mobile app (全民健保行動快易通), as well as keep their over-the-counter or prescription drug packets which contain information about the medicine they are taking and show them to healthcare providers when they seek medical attention abroad to avoid adverse drug reactions, he said.
In other news, the Central Epidemic Command Center yesterday reported 20,773 new local COVID-19 cases, 305 imported cases and 33 deaths from the disease.
The total number of cases rose 3.1 percent from the same day a week earlier, it said.
Additional reporting by CNA
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS