Extra hospital clinical services are to be opened from tomorrow to respond to an outbreak of COVID-19 that could worsen after this weekend’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday.
Special COVID-19 outpatient clinics in 21 government-run hospitals nationwide would be open mornings and evenings from Monday to Friday and on Saturday mornings, said Wang Yu-wei (王裕煒), an official in the Hospital and Social Welfare Organizations Administration Commission said.
As of Thursday, hospitals had sufficient quantities of drugs and rapid test kits, the commission said.
Photo: Taipei Times
There were 1,428 courses of Paxlovid, 690 courses of Molnupiravir, 125 courses of Chingguan Yihau (清冠一號), 402 doses of the new JN.1-based vaccine, 14,486 rapid test kits and 10,378 A+B viral antigen test kits, it said.
The commission said it has asked each hospital to coordinate and integrate local medical capacity to help alleviate congestion in emergency rooms.
Although most cases of COVID-19 are mild or asymptomatic, the disease can develop into something more serious, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said in a news release yesterday.
People should wash their hands frequently, wear masks and get vaccinated, as well as remain vigilant, it added.
For those with mild symptoms or who are asymptomatic, the CDC recommended resting at home, avoiding unnecessary outings and wearing a mask when around others.
Those with severe symptoms should seek medical attention immediately, it added.
Meanwhile, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) rebutted a suggestion that “there is no need for people to get another COVID-19 vaccine shot,” describing it as harmful to public health.
Local media reports quoted Taiwan Counter Contagious Diseases Society president Wang Jen-hsien (王任賢) as saying on Thursday that the public already had enough vaccines and they do not need to receive another shot.
He also questioned if the number of COVID-19 cases were exaggerated, and if people with mild symptoms should be given test kits and prescriptions.
Lo said that all statistics released by the CDC are in accordance with established guidelines and monitoring systems.
Medical institutions can test and prescribe drugs for those in high-risk groups who only show mild symptoms, Lo said, dismissing allegations that doctors would change patients’ medical records from mild to severe symptoms as unfounded and incorrect.
The new JN.1-based vaccine remains effective against the most common COVID-19 variants, according to the WHO, and updated vaccinations reduce the likelihood of severe illness and death, especially for those aged 65 or older, he added.
From Sunday to Tuesday, COVID-19-related hospital visits jumped 78 percent from the previous week, Lo said on Thursday.
The number of visits this week could reach more than 60,000, which shows that, although the pace of increase has slowed, the current wave should not be underestimated, he added.
The CDC estimated that the current wave would peak at more than 200,000 weekly cases between late next month and early July, with this weekend’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday potentially making it worse.
Additional reporting by Fion Khan
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