Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/07/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting, Fan Cheng-hsiang, Phoenix Hsu and William Yen

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Taiwan is planning to donate another round of surgical face masks overseas, this time with over a million pieces going to several countries targeted by the government's New Southbound Policy (NSP), as well as other countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Tuesday.

At a press briefing in Taipei, the head of MOFA's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Baushuan Ger (葛葆萱), said the masks will be sent to about seven to eight NSP countries that have recently asked for help from Taiwan, as well as countries outside of the Asia-Pacific region.

The surgical masks will be provided primarily to healthcare workers in these countries to assist them in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Ger said.

An official familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named, told CNA that the countries will include Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Myanmar and Indonesia.
[FULL  STORY]

POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE: The appointment of a top Chinese diplomat to the council’s Consultative Group reflects China’s effort to expand its influence over the UN system, MOFA said

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 08, 2020
By:Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter

UN members need to watch out for Beijing’s abuse of power in the world body’s systems, after a Chinese official was appointed last week to a panel on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday

Jiang Duan (蔣端), who holds the rank of minister at the Chinese mission in Geneva, Switzerland, was appointed to the council’s Consultative Group as a representative for Asia-Pacific states for a one-year term through March 31 next year.

It is ironic that the Chinese government, with its egregious record on human rights issues, can be admitted into the consultative group to help monitor the human rights conditions in other countries, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement.

The appointment reflects China’s control over UN systems, which deserves the vigilance of all governments, she said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 06 April, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

Larger-than-expected crowds flocked to tourist hotspots last weekend for the Tomb Sweeping Festival… and that’s led to concern of a possible uptick in COVID-19 cases in Taiwan. Officials are urging people to stay vigilant, saying the pandemic is not yet over.

Taiwan has been relatively successful in fighting off the new coronavirus — so much so, that people felt comfortable leaving their homes for the four-day Tombsweeping holiday last weekend. Massive crowds gathered at popular vacation hotspots, sparking a reaction on social media.

Blindsided by the sudden surge in crowds, the Central Epidemic Command Center sent out a text reminding people to follow social distancing guidelines. Now that the long weekend has ended, officials are calling on people who traveled to any of the busy areas to stay at home for 14 days. 

Authorities have identified 11 of these “busy areas”. But Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says that it’s hard to define exactly what a “busy area” is. He says he can only offer a rough definition, and ask people to use their best  judgement.     [FULL  STORY]

Epoch Times
Date: April 6, 2020
By: Young Kim

The United States is experiencing something uniquely challenging, the deadly coronavirus. Massive readjustments are being forced on Americans with “social distancing” and stay at home orders. These are times of great uncertainty and concern as our economy dramatically slows.

Experts rightfully warn of many more American fatalities, especially among the elderly and sick. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. and state governments are scrambling to respond to this unprecedented crisis.    [FULL  STORY]

Doctors report increase of both suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients during Qingming break

Taiwan News
Date:2020/04/06
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese doctors are warning of a spike in cases of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) after the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) expressed alarm at the large crowds seen during the Qingming holiday.

Such was the concern over crowds breaking the CECC's prescribed social distancing measures that the center on Saturday (April 4) took the unprecedented measure of sending a nationwide text warning residents to avoid the Pingtung County beach resort town of Kenting, along with 10 other popular tourist spots. On Sunday, emergency room physician Pai Yung-chia (白永嘉) said on Facebook that before the four-day holiday had ended, many ERs across the island were seeing an influx of patients complaining of symptoms suspiciously similar to COVID-19, including fever, a cough, sore throat, and diarrhea.

Pai said that not only doctors and nurses but also radiologists, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and even janitors and security guards have to wear extra personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves against transmission from new suspected cases. He said that every patient suspected of having the disease is being tested and that all personnel who come in contact with them are donning PPE in case they test positive.   [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/06/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting, Hsu Chih-wei and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) An expert with Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has confirmed recent studies saying that the new coronavirus could cause diarrhea, but he stressed that those who have diarrhea are not necessarily infected with the disease.

Taiwan saw an increase in the number of confirmed cases with diarrhea over the past week, leading health authorities to include the symptom in the definition of COVID-19 infection in addition to fever, coughing and the loss of the senses of taste and smell.

At the CECC's daily press briefing Monday, CECC advisor Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that after observing the conditions of COVID-19 patients who had diarrhea, he found some patients suffered up to eight runs a day while others just had loose bowels.

"Diarrhea is a common physiological phenomenon," Chang said, noting that diarrhea could be caused by norovirus or food poisoning.    [FULL  STORY]

MISCONCEPTION: Cats can injure themselves if they fall from a high place, despite being able to right themselves, an advocate said, urging owners to secure their windows

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 07, 2020
By: Wang Shu-hsiu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Injuries from falls and poisoning are common among domesticated cats, two animal welfare advocates said, urging cat owners to pay attention to the safety of their pets.

“Placing netting over metal window grates is a common and important measure to protect cats from falling,” said one of the advocates, who used the alias “Cuddy.”

Some owners let their cats roam outdoors, but doing so could be dangerous for the animals, said the other advocate, who used the alias “Mark.”

As cats love high places and have hunting instincts, they can easily endanger themselves when trying to pounce on birds or bats from a high place, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

• Self-ruled island has been frozen out of the World Health Organisation but its strong response to Covid-19 has helped raise its profile
• Taipei has offered to donate 10 million face masks to countries that are battling the outbreak

South China Morning Post
Date: 5 Apr, 2020
By: Lawrence Chung

Taiwan has intensified its efforts to raise its global profile by offering to donate urgently needed face masks and medical aids to other countries – a move that has angered Beijing.

Observers said Taiwan’s efforts to control the Covid-19 outbreak had highlighted the strengths of its medical system and increased its visibility on the world stage.

It has also been praised by world leaders, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying the EU is thankful for Taiwan’s efforts and gestures of solidarity, while the US state department described Taiwan as a true friend.

But Beijing’s response was less complimentary. Foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said Taiwan prohibited the export of masks when the outbreak was at its height on the Chinese mainland, and said the island should not play any “political tricks” to gain accession to the World Health Organisation.    [FULL  STORY]

ERR
Date: April 05, 2020

MEP Urmas Paet said that Estonia should lobby for Taiwan's admittance to the World Health

Organization (WHO).

"Had the World Health Organization (WHO) heeded Taiwan's warnings and shared them with the rest of the world, Europe would have caught onto the new virus earlier," Paet wrote on social media. "Instead, the WHO wanted to please China and ignored Taiwan's warnings. However, the global health crisis is not a place for political games and the WHO should finally understand this," he added.

"As a member of the WHO, Estonia should raise the issue that the WHO must not allow itself to be manipulated by China, and considering the protection of public health, Taiwan should also be admitted to the WHO," Paet said.    [FULL  STORY]

Researchers say patients with digestive symptoms after possible contact with COVID-19 should be suspected of infection even without respiratory symptoms

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/04/05
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — For some people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the first sign of illness is gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly diarrhea, according to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology on March 30.

Although most COVID-19 patients first exhibit a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat, digestive symptoms also occur in patients with mild disease severity. The study found that those who exhibit digestive symptoms early on may be more likely to develop respiratory symptoms fever later — or not at all. The findings are important because this subgroup may go undetected, unwittingly spreading the illness to others, according to the researchers.

Conducted by Chinese researchers, the study analyzed data from 206 COVID-19 patients at a hospital in China's Hubei province. Of the 206 patients, 48 (23 percent) exhibited digestive symptoms only, 89 (43 percent) had only respiratory symptoms, and 69 (33 percent) presented with both digestive and respiratory symptoms.

Among the two groups with digestive symptoms (117 patients), diarrhea was seen in 67 of them, of whom 19.4 percent experienced it as their first symptom, according to the study. Diarrhea lasted from one to 14 days, with an average duration of five days and a frequency of four bowel movements per day.    [FULL  STORY]